Dateline: Cincinnati
The Reds walked the minefield right onto a plank as the Pittsburgh Pirates walked off with a 15-4 win.
Reds starter Rhett Lowder misplaced the plate walking four batters including the last three he faced. Connor Phillips couldn’t find it for him. He walked all four batters he faced in a five-run second inning.
The Reds scored two runs in the first inning off Carmen Mlodzinski.
JJ Bleday walked. Elly De La Cruz doubled in front of Nathaniel Lowe’s two bagger.
Lowder gave them back and raised them three. Oneil Cruz singled off De La Cruz’ glove. When Lowder slipped on the mound, Cruz moved to sencond. Brandon Lowe blooped a single to cut the lead in half. Bryan Reynolds walked. Ryan O’Hearn doubled to tie the game. Nick Gonzalez grounded out as Reynolds scored. Marcel Ozuna doubled and scored in Konnor Griffin’s double.
The Reds tried to deal themselves back in. Will Benson belted his second home run of the season. The Reds loaded the bases but Sal Stewart MLB’s co leader in RBI struck out to stand the runners.
The Pirates used the Reds generosity to score five more without a hit. Cruz struck out to open the inning. The plate disappeared. Lowe, Reynolds and O’Hearn drew walks.
Reds’ manager Terry Francona had seen enough. He pulled Lowder and looked to Phillips to put a stop to the inning. Gonzales, Ozuna, Horwitz and Griffin walked, forcing home the last two of the eight runs, Lowder was charged with. The final run scored when Henry David beat out a double play relay. The Pirates scored five runs without a hit.
Seven consecutive batters on with a base on balls happened twice before.
In 1909 seven White Sox batters walked in succession against the Washington Senators. The other time was on May 25, 1983 when the Pirates issued seven straight passes to the Atlanta Braves.
The Pirates weren’t finished after Sam Moll snuck in a scoreless third. Brock Burke entered the game with an 0.63 ERA. Griffin opened five-run inning with a triple. When the inning ended his ERA was 3.52.
Bleday doubled and Lowe drove in his third run of the game with a single.
Graham Ashcraft back from the bereavement list pitched a scoreless inning. Jose Franco held off the Bucs.
Bleday hit a two-run home run his second. It was the first batter faced by Chris Devenski, who relieved winner Mlodzinski the beneficiary of the walk-a-thon.
Benson doubled in the eighth. Tyler Stephenson singled him to third. He scored when Ke’Bryan Hayes hit into a double play.
For the second straight game and the third time in four games, backup catcher, Jose Trevino pitched the final inning with his knuckleball. Oddly he didn’t walk anyone. He did hit Jake Magnum with a knuckled but Billy Cook hit into a double play but the Pirates put together four straight hits to finish with 17 runs for the game.
All nine Pirates starter had an RBI.
The Reds dropped out of first place and are in danger of being swept on Sunday.
Although they are a healthy 20-13 on the season and one game behind the Chicago Cubs for first place in the NL Central division, the have scored 20 fewer runs than they have allowed.
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