Pirates bullpen stumbles in defeat
The Pirates offense managed just six hits and was 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position.
The game’s start time Tuesday was delayed by rain for one hour, 14 minutes, before right-hander Jameson Taillon delivered the first pitch.
For the second time this young season, Taillon turned in a strong outing and was rewarded only with a no-decision. He was charged with two runs over six innings. He allowed four hits, walked one and struck out four. The bullpen did the remainder of the damage, allowing four runs.
The Reds opened the scoring in a rather conventional manner, as their cleanup hitter Adam Duvall led off the second inning with a 424-foot clout to left field off a Taillon four-seam fastball.
The Pirates answered in a less conventional way. With two outs and runners on the corners in the third, Gregory Polanco stole second base. When the throw went to second, Starling Marte broke for home. He slid headfirst and slipped his left hand across home plate just as Tucker Barnhart applied the tag.
Rookie Davis, the aptly named first-year Reds righthander, steered clear of serious trouble until he stepped into the batter’s box in the fifth. Davis squared to bunt. Taillon’s first-pitch fastball ran inside and smacked Davis’ right forearm as he pulled back the bunt attempt. Davis remained in the game to run the bases but was removed after the inning because of a bruised right forearm.
Davis gave up two hits and four walks in four innings but surrendered only one run.
In the sixth, trailing, 2-1, the Pirates got something started after reliever Drew Storen hit Francisco Cervelli with a slow slider. Josh Harrison rolled a single into right, and Jordy Mercer moved Cervelli, representing the tying run, to third with a fielder’s choice grounder.
With two outs and two on, manager Clint Hurdle pulled Taillon, who had thrown 82 pitches, for pinchhitter Adam Frazier. The ensuing grounder to shortstop was gobbled easily by Jose Peraza, but Peraza’s throw flew far above the first baseman’s head, allowing Frazier to reach safely and Cervelli to tie the game.
In 13 innings, Taillon has allowed two runs on nine hits and four walks, striking out 10. Once he departed Tuesday, the bullpen spread fire.
Gennett greeted reliever Juan Nicasio with a leadoff double in the seventh, coming around to score on Billy Hamilton’s two-out single, and returned to the plate with two on in the eighth. He turned on Williams’ first pitch and yanked it over the Clemente Wall, putting the game away.