The Pirates won their fifth straight game, beating the Reds, 4-2, at PNC Park. The win was their fifth straight, their longest win streak in four years and one day. It’s also their longest under Derek Shelton.
The win was keyed by another streak, as Mitch Keller put up the team’s eleventh straight quality start. Keller went six innings, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk, with five strikeouts.
The Pirates got the early lead, with some help. In the second inning, a balk by Reds’ starter Graham Ashcraft left Mark Mathias with two runners in scoring position. Mathias looped a single over second to plate both runners.
Keller meanwhile retired the first 11 batters he faced before a hit batsman with two out in the fourth. He still didn’t allow a hit until the fifth, when two singles, a walk and a sacrifice fly tied the game.
The Pirates weren’t doing much with Ashcraft. In fact, they had only one hit off him after the second. In the sixth, though, with Ashcraft gone, the Reds became helpful again. Connor Joe singled and made it to third with two out on a wild pitch and a ground out. Mathias hit a routine grounder to short that should have ended the inning, but Jose Barrero booted it, putting the Bucs back in front, 3-2. They had a shot at some insurance later in the inning when Austin Hedges singled with Mathias on second, but Mathias was thrown out at the plate.
The Pirates got some insurance anyway, with two out in the seventh. Andrew McCutchen walked and came around to score when Carlos Santana doubled to left-center, making it 4-2.
The bullpen finished it out. Robert Stephenson, who seems to have taken over for Duane Underwood, Jr., as the seventh inning guy, pitched around an error in the seventh. Colin Holderman had the leadoff runner in the eighth reach second on a hit and an error, but a ground out and two strikeouts ended the threat. David Bednar breezed through the ninth on eight pitches, picking up his seventh save. Last year he got save number seven on May 15.
Keller got the win to go 2-0. The Pirates totaled only six hits and Joe had half of them, including a double. He’s now batting .377.
