INSTANT REACTION: Reds Extend Winning Streak, Smash Their Way to 7-1 Win Over Pittsburgh

CINCINNATI -- For the first time since May 4th, the Cincinnati Reds are back over .500 after beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-1 on Monday night.

The Reds have won five in a row. They're 4-0 against the Pirates this season.

Reds left-handed pitcher Nick Lodolo delivered his best start of the month, and the Reds lineup finished with 12 hits to back up a Reds pitching staff that allowed just one hit over their last six innings.

Here are our key takeaways from Monday night's win:

Nick Lodolo's Strong Start
After giving up a run on two two-out hits in the bottom of the first, the Reds left-hander settled into a really nice groove. Lodolo allowed just two more hits over the next five innings, finishing the night with seven strikeouts to just one walk in six strong innings.

Lodolo threw 89 pitches through six innings Monday night, 60 of them fro strikes. The four hits he allowed was his fewest since allowing just two at Colorado back on April 27.

Top of the order delivers
Twice on Monday night, the top of the Reds lineup was at the center of run-scoring rallies. In the top of the first, Elly De La Cruz worked a two-out walk to set up Austin Hays to deliver an RBI double. De La Cruz's speed enabled him to slide safely into home plate and allowed Hays to take third on the backside of the play.

Then in the top of the eighth, TJ Friedl led off with a single. Two batters later, De La Cruz doubled off the left field way- barely missing a home run- to score Friedl. De La Cruz took third on the relay throw to the plate, and he then scored on Austin Hays's single.

The top of the Reds lineup holds the key to its success this season. On Monday night, its ability to get on base and aggressively run the bases jump-started two key rallies at the start and late stages of the game.

Austin Hays's big night at the plate
Batting cleanup, Hays went 3-5 at the plate with two RBI. He has hits now in six straight games, including two games with multiple hits. Over those six games, Hays is 9-23 with two doubles and five RBI. He has 19 RBI on the season.

Unsung Heroes Lead Reds Bullpen
With Tony Santillan and Emilio Pagan having both pitched in each of the last three games against the Cleveland Guardians, it meant other relievers were going to have to step up on Monday.

Step up they did, with Lyon Richardon, Scott Barlow and each pitching one inning of shutout baseball. The two right-handers combined for 30 pitches with 19 of them thrown for strikes.

Graham Ashcraft was warming up during the top of the ninth, but manager Terry Francona sat him down as the Reds scored three runs to double their three-run lead to six-run lead. Brent Suter came on to pitch the bottom of the ninth and retired the Pirates in order on just five pitches.

Matt McLain, TJ Friedl and Elly De La Cruz Add Insurance Runs
McLain may have gone 0-3 Monday night, but he delivered an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth to extend the Reds lead to 5-1.

The insurance didn't stop there, though. Friedl followed one batter later with an RBI single that scored Tyler Stephenson from second, after the Reds catcher advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch.

For as frustrating of a season McLain is having, don't forget he's still not even two months back playing after missing all of last year with a shoulder injury. Combine that with his not even full rookie season in 2023, and there is still plenty of time for McLain to figure things out at the plate and reassert himself back into the top of the lineup.

De La Cruz followed with a line drive RBI double down the right field line, the Reds sixth double of the game. That's the single-game high this season for the Reds.

All three of the Reds big three hitters in their lineup delivered insurance runs in the top of the ninth, prompting boos to rain down from the PNC Park crowd. It's always a good night when Pittsburgh's own fans are booing them because a Cincinnati team is routing them.

Notes and observations

The Reds were just 2-10 with runners in scoring position on Monday night, but they left just five runners on base.
Cincinnati won for just the 19th time in its last 60 games in Pittsburgh.
Monday was Cincinnati's first game against a National League opponent since May 8 at Atlanta.

On Deck
Tuesday night's game in Pittsburgh will get underway at 6:35 p.m. Nick Martinez will be on the mound for the Reds. Martinez won his last start this past Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, pitching seven shutout innings and allowing just two hits.

Pirates left-hander Bailey Falter will be on the mound for Pittsburgh. He is 2-3 on the season, and one of those losses came at Cincinnati on April 11th, when he allowed five runs (three of them earned) on just three hits but five walks.