Pirates Pitching Struggles in Loss to Reds
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates got solid production from their offense, but their pitching struggled throughout in a 14-8 defeat to the Cincinnati Reds in the series finale at PNC Park.
The Pirates took the first two games of the series, 7-0 on Aug. 7 and 3-2 on Aug. 8, but dropped the final two, including 2-1 on Aug. 9, splitting their four-game series with the Reds.
Pittsburgh drops to 51-68 overall and 34-29 at home, while Cincinnati improves to 62-57 overall and 29-31 on the road.
The Pirates loaded the bases in the bottom of the second inning with one out, with second baseman Nick Gonzales and right fielder Jack Suwinski hitting back-to-back singles, then shortstop Jared Triolo reached first base on a fielder's choice.
Pittsburgh then failed to score at all in the inning, as Reds right-handed starting pitcher Zack Littell struck out both catcher Henry Davis and third baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
Rookie right-handed starting pitcher Mike Burrows had four strikeouts over the first two innings for the Pirates, but would give up one out double to Reds third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes in the top of the third inning.
Burrows struck out center fielder TJ Friedl, but walked second baseman Gavin Lux and gave up a single to shortstop Elly De La Cruz, scoring Hayes and putting the Reds up 1-0.
He then gave up a three-run home run to designated hitter Miguel Andujar, leaving a slider at the top of the zone, that Andujar hit 109.3 mph out and increased the Reds' lead to 4-0.
Miguel Andujar just destroyed a baseball, folks. pic.twitter.com/Y1lN2wyKRd
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) August 10, 2025
The Pirates would get going again in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Suwinski and Triolo hit back-to-back singles with one out.
Davis flew out, but Kiner-Falefa would double, scoring both Suwinski and Triolo, and first baseman Spencer Horwitz singled, trimming the Pirates' deficit to one-run, 4-3.
Burrows finished his outing after five innings, giving up four earned runs and posting six strikeouts in his first start vs. the Reds.
Designated hitter Bryan Reynolds led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a single and after center fielder Oneil Cruz struck out, Gonzales doubled and moved Reynolds to third base. Suwinski would ground out, but scored Reynolds and tied the game up at 4-4.
Right-handed relief pitcher Yohan Ramírez came in for Burrows in the top of the sixth inning and gave up back-to-back singles to De La Cruz and Andujar.
Ramírez struck out left fielder Austin Hays, but then allowed a ground-rule double to right fielder Noelvi Marte, scoring De La Cruz, and a double to first baseman Spencer Steer, scoring both Andujar and Marte, giving the Reds a 7-4 lead.
Davis and Kiner-Falefa led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a single each, giving the Pirates two runners on with no outs.
The Reds brought in left-handed pitcher Sam Moll for Horwitz, a left-handed batter, which worked, as Moll struck Horwitz out, then got left fielder Tommy Pham to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Ramírez gave up a leadoff walk to Friedl, who moved to second base on a wild pitch, then walked De La Cruz with one out, before Pirates manager Don Kelly took him out for right-handed pitcher Dauri Moreta.
Moreta struck out Andujar and forced Hays into a ground out, keeping the deficit at three runs.
The Pirates loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, with Reynolds, Suwinski and Triolo each walking.
Andrew McCutchen pinch-hit for Davis and walked on four pitches, scoring Reynolds and trimming the deficit to 7-5. Kiner-Falefa then flew out, missing out on a chance to tie or give the Pirates the lead.
Moreta gave up a lead off single to Marte in the top of the eighth inning and then a two-run home run to Steer, who crushed a slider over the middle of the plate 439 feet into the left field bleachers, extending the Reds' advantage to 9-5.
439 feet
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) August 10, 2025
105.6 MPH
Oh my, @spenc__er pic.twitter.com/467fuOgFGw
Moreta got two more outs, before left-handed relief pitcher Ryan Borucki came in for the final out of the eighth inning for the Pirates.
Horwitz led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a double and Pham singled, putting runners on the corners with no outs.
Reynolds flew out, but Cruz got his first hit of the day, singling to right field and scoring Horwitz, trimming the deficit to 9-6 for the Pirates.
Gonzales walked and loaded the bases for Pittsburgh, giving Suwinski a chance to take the lead with a grand slam.
Suwinski lined out to Cincinnati second baseman Matt McClain, who then looked to get Cruz out at second base for the inning-ending double play, but threw it way over De La Cruz and the ball went into the outfield. Both Pham and Cruz scored, as Pittsburgh cut Cincinnati's lead to just one run at 9-8.
Rookie right-handed pitcher Cam Sanders took over from Borucki in the top of the ninth inning. He got De La Cruz to ground out, but walked Andujar and allowed a single to Hays.
Sanders then gave up a three-run home run to Marte, who crushed a slider that went over the middle of the plate, sending it 427 feet into the Pirates bushes in center field, as the Reds re-established their four-run lead, 12-8.
YOU'RE IN THE BUSHES@MarteNoelvi pic.twitter.com/TRu7OxJKBz
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) August 10, 2025
Sanders then loaded the bases, giving up back-to-back singles to Steer and catcher Jose Trevino and walking Hayes, before Kelly took him out for right-handed pitcher Isaac Mattson.
Mattson walked Friedl with the bases loaded, scoring Steer, then got a sacrifice fly from McClain, scoring Trevino, as the Reds increased their lead to 14-8.
The 14 runs the Pirates allowed ranks as the second most in 2025, behind the 17 they allowed in the 17-16 defeat to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Aug. 1.
The Pirates head out on a six-game road trip, beginning with a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field, Aug. 11-13.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.