Jesse Winker Powers Reds Over Pirates

 

Da Wink provided the Reds' offense.  Jesse Winker his his fourth and fifth home runs of the season, the second with a man on to stake Sonny Gray to a lead in a 8-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Winker led off the second inning against Chad Kuhl hit a pitch into the empty leftfield stands.  He followed Joey Votto's double with a shot to the right field stands to turn in his first career multi-home run game.

The designated hitter for the night started the season 1-for-22 but has been carrying the team, hitting .615 since August 5.  Winker showed a preference for his whiff from trying to empty an ice bucket on Votto during and interview this week.

"I'm just trying to be competitive," Winker said.

Gray was more elequent.

"Little Winkie is locked in," Gray said.

Winker has been putting all of his skills on display according to Bell, “I'm not surprised but I'm impressed.  He's playing great all around.  It's good to see a guy who works like that get rewarded.”

Gray allowed five  hits and a walk in 6 2/3 innings, including Bryan Reynolds first home run of the season, a solo poke in the fourth inning.  He struck out 10.  It tied his longest outing of the season.  Gray has allowed six or fewer hits in his last 38 starts, dating back to August 25, 2018.  Gray came close to finishing the seventh but Cole Tucker singled on Gray's 110th pitch to put the tying run at the plate personified by Jacob Stallings.  David Bell went to the mound.

“I had a good work week," Gray said. "I did a lot of work, not on the Pirates but myself.  I got a lot of DJ time. After the first inning I went to Trevor.  I thought I had a good curve ball but they weren't swinging.  It became clear they weren't swinging at spin, so let's attack them with heaters, a lot of fastballs.”

Bell checked on Gray before sending him out for the seventh when Gray was close to his pitch count.

“It was an outstanding start," Bell said.  "He was strong all the way through to the end.  He had a great fastball.  He was near the limit (110) pitches but he stayed strong.”

And then along came Jones, tall thin Jones, slow walking Jones, slow talking Jones, along came long, lean, lanky Jones.

Nate Jones retired Stallings to end the inning when Shogo Akiyama tracked down Stallings line drive on the warning track.

The Reds broke the game open off  Chris Stratton in the bottom of the seventh.  Josh VanMeter hustled out a double to lead off.  Freddie Galvis beat out a ground ball in the hole at short as VanMeter moved to third.  The Pirates played the infield half way for the slow footed Barnhart.  The catcher hit a hard ground ball to the right of second baseman, Adam Frazier, who went to the ground to spear it.  He wanted to tag the passing Galvis but the veteran stopped, forcing Frazier to throw to second after the hesitation.  The tactic paid off.  Barnhart was able to beat Kevin Newman's relay throw.  With two outs Akiyama singled off Newman's glove.  Nick Castellanos launched his eighth home run to center field for three more runs.  Brandon Waddell struck out Winker on a 3-2 pitch, the first Major League batter he faced.

"That was big play by Galvis.  His instincts took over," Bell said.

Tyler Thornburg, who was activated before the game, struck out two in a scoreless eighth.  It was his Reds debut after five years in Milwaukee with Reds' pitching coach, Derek Johnson.  Thornburg signed with the Reds as a non-roster player after two seasons with Boston.

Galvis and Barnhart doubled with two outs to make it an 8-1 game.  Thornburg only threw 12 pitches in the eighth.  Bell elected to let the veteran try to finish off the Pirates. Thornburg struck out the 13th Pirate batter in the game in a perfect ninth.

The Reds improved to 9-11 a third of the way to this surreal 2020 season.  The Pirates limped to the hotel with 4-14 record.