Reds Routed, Embarrassed by Pirates in 17-7 Blowout on Saturday in Pittsburgh

That was not fun, Reds fans.

May 2, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Connor Phillips reacts on the mound against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the second inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images | Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

Well, that was not good. The Pittsburgh Pirates kept putting traffic on the bases and pressure on the Cincinnati Reds in a 17-7 rout on Saturday afternoon in the Steel City.

Reds pitching was battered early and often, with the Pirates scoring five runs in three of the first four innings. The Pirates banged out 19 hits on their way to the 17-7 victory.

Despite taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, the rest of the game was downhill for the Reds. But at least Will Benson homered Saturday.

What was that in the Second Inning?

Apr 30, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Connor Phillips (34) reacts after a play in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

To be honest, I don't know. I'm not sure how to explain what occurred in the second inning Saturday, other than that's not something you see every day. Seven straight walks. Four straight by reliever Connor Phillips. Four straight. The bases were loaded when Phillips came into the game. That means the first batter whom Phillips walked came around to score on his fourth straight walk.

Phillips pitched 0.0+ innings on Saturday. When was the last time you saw a pitcher throw 0.0+ innings with substantial work? Substantial work, as in walking four batters. For those wondering, Phillips threw 21 pitches, and only five were for strikes. In contrast, Jose Trevino threw 28 pitches, and 15 were for strikes. Trevino is a catcher, by the way.

There were seven Reds pitchers in total on Saturday. They combined to throw 211 pitches in just eight innings. That's 25.44 pitches per inning. Yikes. Only 111 pitches were for strikes, or just over 50 percent. Reds pitchers combined for 11 walks and nine strikeouts. It all unraveled today for the Reds pitching. It wasn't a good day for Lowder, the five relievers, or Trevino.

On Deck

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns (26) throws a pitch in the first inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Colorado Rockies at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. The Reds led 4-1 after three innings. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hey, there's always tomorrow, right? The Reds are still seven games over .500 at 20-13. They can salvage a game in the series on Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh.

Chase Burns (3-1, 2.65 ERA) will look to continue his run of three straight impressive starts when he faces the Pirates and their young right-hander, Braxton Ashcraft (1-2, 3.71 ERA). Burns pitched a five-inning shutout in his last start against the Pirates, a game the Reds won 2-0 on March 30.

First pitch is at 1:35 E.T. on Reds.TV and 700WLW.

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