Pirates comeback effort vs. Reds falls short in 7-4 defeat

Wil Crowe reverted back to the form he started the season with instead of the pitcher who was hot over his last two starts, and the Pittsburgh Pirates bats didn’t get going until the game was mostly out of reach as the Buccos fells to the Cincinnati Reds 7-4 on Thursday night.

Crowe lasted four innings, but he gave up seven runs, including three homers, on eight hits while walking two and striking out five.

The Pittsburgh bullpen of Duane Underwood Jr, Anthony Banda, and Nick Mears held the Reds without a hit the rest of the way, but the damage had already been done, and not even a four-run rally by the Bucs in the top of the fifth could save the day.

The Bucs scored runs on RBI singles by Phillip Evans, Kevin Newman, and Ke’Bryan Hayes, along with an RBI forceout by Bryan Reynolds. That rally chased Reds started Sonny Gray after the inning, but Pittsburgh would get no closer and fell to their division rival.

The Reds’ three homers came on a solo shot by Jonathan India to lead off the game and three-run homers in the second from both Euegnio Suarez and Joey Votto. They almost had another from Tyler Naquin but Reynolds did his best Gold Glove impression in center.

Pittsburgh’s only multi-hit nights came from Hoy Park, who went 2-for-4 batting leadoff, and Kevin Newman also went 2-for-4. Pittsburgh finished with eight total hits.

Wilmer Difo committed an error in Cincy’s big second inning, which means only two of the Reds’ six runs that inning were earned.

The Bucs will look to rebound tonight, as the four-game set continues with another 7:05pm start.