A Tough Day for the Buccos
The Pittsburgh Pirates faced off against the Cincinnati Reds today, and it was a game we'd all rather forget. The Reds managed to take an early lead and never looked back, ultimately defeating the Pirates by a score of 10-2. Let’s break down how it all went down.Early Struggles
The Reds wasted no time getting on the board in the top of the 1st inning. After a leadoff ground out by Jonathan India, Elly De La Cruz walked and stole second. Tyler Stephenson followed with another walk, setting the stage for TJ Friedl, who singled to right, allowing De La Cruz to score. Spencer Steer then doubled to left, scoring both Friedl and Stephenson to make it 3-0. A sacrifice fly by Ty France brought Steer home, making it 4-0 before we even got a chance to bat.
The Pirates tried to respond but couldn't muster much. Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled to start us off but, unfortunately, Bryan Reynolds struck out and Oneil Cruz grounded into a double play to end the inning.
A Brief Glimmer of Hope
The bottom of the 2nd inning brought a little excitement when Joey Bart walked and Rowdy Tellez crushed a 437-foot homer to right field, bringing the score to 4-2. For a moment, it looked like we might have a comeback brewing.More Reds' Dominance
Sadly, our glimmer of hope was short-lived. The Reds added four more runs in the top of the 4th inning. After Dominic Smith doubled and advanced to third on a flyout, Will Benson reached on an infield single to bring Smith home. A single by De La Cruz and a series of errors allowed two more runs to score, pushing the Reds lead to 8-2.In the top of the 6th inning, India singled and advanced to second on an error. De La Cruz doubled to bring in India, and Stephenson singled to score De La Cruz. The score was now 10-2 and the writing was on the wall.
Late Innings Frustration
The Pirates were unable to generate any more offense for the rest of the game. Ji Hwan Bae, Bryan De La Cruz, and Billy McKinney all had rough outings at the plate. The 9th inning sealed our fate as Oneil Cruz, Joey Bart, and Tellez were all retired in order.Final Thoughts
It's tough to see the Pirates struggle like this, but baseball is a game of highs and lows. While today's performance was disappointing, there were some positives, like Tellez's massive homerun. Let’s hope the team can bounce back in the next game. Let's go Bucs!
Scoreboard for Reds @ Pirates (August 24th, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 12 | 1 |