Pirates Lose Chilly Division Battle to Reds
The Pittsburgh Pirates fell 5-3 to the Cincinnati Reds during a frigid night of baseball on the Ohio River. The loss unlocks the tie at the bottom of the National League Central between the long-time division rivals. The Pirates' record falls to 5-9, while the Reds improved to 6-8.
To start the game, Reds starting pitcher Brady Singer surrendered a leadoff walk to Enmanuel Valdez, the Pirates' sixth leadoff hitter in 14 games. Bryan Reynolds watched a strike three fastball down the middle for Singer's first punch-out. Joey Bart hit a weak ground ball back to Singer for an easy double play ball, ending the Pirates' glimmer of hope for a run in the first inning.
Falter mirrored Singer by giving up a leadoff walk to T.J. Friedl. He would then steal second base during the next at-bat for the Reds. It was only the seventh stolen base of the season by the Reds. Falter walked the next batter, Blake Dunn, putting runners on first and second with no outs.
This brought superstar shortstop Elly De La Cruz to the plate with an early opportunity to pounce on PIttsburgh. However, Falter again couldn't find the strike zone and walked De La Cruz on four pitches. With the bases loaded and nobody out, the Pirates were forced to make an early visit to the mound.
After the mound visit, Spencer Steer drilled a ground ball to Pirates third baseman Ke'bryan Hayes for a tailor made double play. Friedl would come around to score. It seemed as if Falter might get out of the inning with minimal damage. Then Jeimer Candelario drilled a fastball down the middle for his first home run of the season, giving the Reds an early 3-0 lead. Christian Encarnacion-Strand struck out on Falter's twenty-seventh pitch of the first inning to finally end the frame.
Bart was removed from the game before the bottom half of the second inning with back discomfort. Endy Rodríguez moved behind the plate, Enmanuel Valdez to first base and Tsung-Che Cheng entered the game to play second base. It was a startling development for a team that has already had its depth tested early this season with injuries.
It didn't take long for Bart's absence to be felt. With De La Cruz attempting to steal third base, Rodriguez wildly threw the ball past Hayes and into the outfield. De La Cruz, as well as Steer would come around to score on the throwing error. It appeared on the replay as if Rodriguez's arm hit his catcher's mask while making the throw. The costly mistake made the game 5-0 in favor of the Reds -- and with only one hit.
Elly De La Chaos 🏃♂️ pic.twitter.com/T8uYgYP2Sj
— MLB (@MLB) April 11, 2025
Command was an issue all night for Falter. Through five innings pitched on the night, he walked five batters. He allowed only three hits, but the lack of control meant there were runners consistently on the bases.
The Pirates finally figured out Singer in the fifth. They got their first hit when Tommy Pham laced a double down the third baseline. Jack Suwinski came around to score, making the game 5-1. Then, Adam Frazier smoked a ball into the right field bleachers for a home run. The Pirates were back in the game, as Frazier's blast made the score 5-3. It was Frazier's first home run in a Pirates uniform since 2021. Singer's evening would be over after finishing out the inning. He allowed two hits, three earned runs, walked three, and struck out three on the night.
"COME ON. KEEP IT GOING."
— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) April 12, 2025
Adam Frazier makes it a 2-run ballgame
95.5 MPH exit velocity, 347 feet, HR in 18/30 ballparks pic.twitter.com/suu5LLaCeR
Suwinski provided some defensive excitement in the fifth inning. The center fielder ranged out to the right-centerfield wall and made a running catch to rob De La Cruz of an extra-base hit.
Jack Suwinski makes the broadcast change their tune real quick. Let's. Go. pic.twitter.com/AhF3FGfBs7
— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) April 12, 2025
The Reds made a standout defensive play themselves in the next half inning. Endy Rodriguez drilled a ball off the leftfield wall into the awaiting bare hand of Gavin Lux. Rodriguez attempted to turn the hit into a double, but Lux rifled a perfectly thrown ball into the infield to nab him for the third out.
Gavin Lux, right on the money 😤 pic.twitter.com/pEiF9ySKul
— MLB (@MLB) April 12, 2025
Both teams went away quietly in the sixth inning as the bullpens assumed control of the game. Casey Shugart came on to pitch the sixth for the Pirates, walking one and striking out a batter. He made one out in the seventh inning before being replaced by Joey Wentz. The left-handed reliever continued his strong start to the season with a scoreless outing. He pitched 1 2/3 innings without allowing a hit or walk, and struck out two batters.
Hard-throwing reliever Graham Ashcraft came out of the Reds bullpen to shut down the Pirates in the seventh and eighth innings.
Emilio Pagan came on for the ninth inning to close out the game for the Reds. It was another quiet inning for the Pirates, as Pagan struck out the first two batters, then got Suwinski to pop up to right field.
The out closed the door on any potential Pittsburgh comeback. On an uncomfortably cold night, the Reds warmed up their bats enough to come away from the opening game of the series with a victory.
The Pirates will look to bounce back against the Reds tomorrow in the second game of the series. Left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney (0-0, 1.50 ERA) will start for Pittsburgh, while fellow lefty Andrew Abbott will make his first start of the season for Cincinnati. First pitch at Great American Ball Park is expected at 6:40 p.m. EST.
Ethan Merrill is from Grand Rapids, MI, and brings with him a diverse background of experiences. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism, he worked with the Arizona Diamondbacks for three seasons before settling in the Pittsburgh area in 2020. With a passion for sports and a growing connection to his community, Ethan brings a fresh perspective to covering the Pittsburgh Pirates.