Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
PIT	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	2	7	0
CIN	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	9	0

Yohan Ramírez (6-3, 3.10 ERA) got the ball for Pittsburgh, while Rhett Lowder (3-7, 5.42) tried to build off a promising last outing for Cincinnati — 5 innings, 2 earned runs, 4 strikeouts against the Cardinals on July 24.

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ML

Total

Pirates(55-54)

LLWWL

2

-1.5+138-113o9.5-106

Reds(50-57)

LWLPW

3

+1.5-141+111u9.5+108

Best BetPirates -121

Postgame

Loss — the Pirates' cold-bat concern proved out as Cincinnati walked it off 3-2.

Pregame

We took the Pirates at -112 on the moneyline, banking on the better overall record and Ramírez's strong 3.10 ERA holding up against a Reds team that's been selling at the deadline. It didn't hold — Cincinnati's offense got to him early and the bullpen finished the job in a walk-off. A rough result for a team still fighting for a playoff spot.

Lowder's season has been a roller coaster, and this start fit the pattern: shaky enough to put Cincinnati in an early hole, steady enough to keep his team in the game. The Reds are without ace-caliber rotation depth right now with Nick Lodolo (finger) and Brandon Williamson (shoulder/finger) both out, which put extra weight on nights like this one just to keep the bullpen intact.

Yohan Ramírez

(6-3)·2.67 ERA

07/30 Lineup

Rhett Lowder

(4-8)·5.15 ERA

Jul 24 @ Cardinals

ND

5.0IP

2ER

4K

2BB

76P

07/30 Lineup

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, had been leaning on its offense to cover for a beat-up group — Oneil Cruz, Spencer Horwitz and catcher Rafael Flores Jr. all shelved in recent weeks. The Bucs are still hanging around the NL Wild Card picture, but their bats had gone quiet at exactly the wrong time coming into Thursday.

Pittsburgh Pirates

(55-54)

Jul 29Lvs Diamondbacks0-3

Jul 28Lvs Diamondbacks7-8

Jul 27Wvs Diamondbacks3-2

Jul 26Wvs Cubs8-7

Jul 25Lvs Cubs0-11

Cincinnati Reds

(50-57)

Jul 29Lvs Guardians1-6

Jul 28Wvs Guardians2-0

Jul 28Lvs Guardians5-6

Jul 27Pvs Guardians0-0

Jul 26W@ Cardinals5-3

That cold spell showed up early and often. Cincinnati jumped Ramírez for 2 runs in the 3rd, and Pittsburgh's offense — which had been shut out twice in its last five games — didn't answer until single runs in the 5th and 6th tied it at 2-2.

Pittsburgh Pirates

(6)

• 7-Day ILRafael Flores Jr. (C) — The Pirates placed Flores on the 7-day concussion injured list Friday.07/24
• 10-Day-ILSpencer Horwitz (1B) — Horwitz (hamstring) was diagnosed with a concussion Tuesday after being hit in the helmet with a pitch while on a rehab assignment at Single-A Bradenton, Aiden Stepansky of MLB.com reports.07/28
• 15-Day-ILEvan Sisk (RP) — Sisk (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.07/29
• 60-Day-ILOneil Cruz (CF) — Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Cruz (hand) has been cleared for all baseball activities, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.07/29
• 60-Day-ILChris Devenski (RP) — Devenski (illness) was sent to the rookie-level Florida Complex League on Tuesday to begin a rehab assignment.07/21
• 60-Day-ILKonnor Griffin (SS) — The Pirates transferred Griffin (finger) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.07/11

Cincinnati Reds

(6)

• 10-Day-ILBlake Dunn (CF) — Dunn will undergo surgery on his right elbow Monday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.07/30
• 10-Day-ILSpencer Steer (1B) — Steer will wear a splint for the next two weeks after being diagnosed with a partial tear of the tendon sheath in his right wrist, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.07/27
• 15-Day-ILNick Lodolo (SP) — Lodolo (finger) is scheduled to throw live batting practice Friday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.07/30
• 15-Day-ILTony Santillan (RP) — Santillan (oblique) will undergo additional imaging Friday, MLB.com reports.07/30
• 60-Day-ILBrandon Williamson (SP) — Williamson (shoulder/finger) will begin a rehab assignment Saturday at Double-A Chattanooga, MLB.com reports.07/30
• 60-Day-ILGraham Ashcraft (RP) — Ashcraft (elbow) is on a throwing program, which will have him throw from 105 feet beginning July 20 at the Reds' training facility in Arizona, MLB.com reports.07/18

It stayed tied into the bottom of the 9th, when the Reds scratched across the winning run to walk off with a 3-2 win. Cincinnati finished with 9 hits to Pittsburgh's 7 and neither team committed an error — a tight, grinding game that came down to one swing at the end.

It's the kind of loss that stings more for Pittsburgh given the standings. The Bucs are still very much alive in the Wild Card race, but dropping a winnable one to a Reds team that spent Thursday selling off pieces at the deadline is not the kind of result a playoff hopeful wants on the ledger.