PITTSBURGH -- There have been a number of bright spots for the Reds through the first 50 games of the season. One of the feats that’s eluded them? A signature come-from-behind victory.
The Reds were unable to get enough batters on base to give themselves a chance at a comeback in the late innings of Wednesday’s 3-1 series-finale loss to the Pirates at PNC Park. Cincinnati tallied just four hits on the afternoon, and had just one run to show for several laborious innings charged to Pirates starter Andrew Heaney. The Reds made several attempts to ignite its dormant offense by creating problems on the basepaths, but saw each one snuffed out.
“We made [Heaney] throw a ton of pitches, kind of like how they did with [our starter Brady Singer], we just didn't have much to show for it,” manager Terry Francona said. “That’s difficult. We didn't get a lot of hits. We did make him work and you would like to hope that gives you a better chance to win.”
After Spencer Steer walked with two outs in the top of the sixth inning, third-base coach J.R. House waved him home on a double into the left field corner off the bat of Tyler Stephenson, who recorded the team’s lone extra-base hit. Instead of tying the game, Steer was thrown out at the plate by the Pittsburgh defense on the close play.
In the following inning, pinch-hitter Will Benson reached base with two outs after getting hit by the pitch, but was thrown out trying to steal second, and get into scoring position, by Pirates catcher Henry Davis.
Outfielder TJ Friedl also tried bunting his way aboard to begin the eighth inning, but popped the ball right into the glove of Pirates reliever Caleb Ferguson.
It’s been a tough go of it as of late for the Cincinnati offense. On Tuesday night, the team suffered its fourth 1-0 loss of the season. Elly De La Cruz is batting .182 in May (20 games), while Matt McLain, who was recently dropped down in the order, is also batting just .188 this month. Tyler Stephenson -- who returned from a left oblique strain on May 2 -- is batting just .182 on the season.
Francona admits he doesn't have all of the answers in response to his team’s recent offensive struggles, but feels it's only a matter of time before his lineup breaks through.
“There’s no magic potion,” Francona said. “I’m telling you, it’s just baseball. Those things will happen. That’s not a lack of wanting to or things like that. If you think that’s the case, I don't know if you know the game. That’s part of the game.”
The team has pitched well and played the field well enough for much of the season. That was no different in the loss. The Cincinnati defense made several key plays to keep the deficit at just one run for Singer.
Outfielder Rece Hinds threw out Isiah Kiner-Falefa trying to score from third base on a shallow fly ball to end the first inning. Hinds saved a second run with a leaping grab in right field on a ball hit hard off the bat of Oneil Cruz in the fourth inning. Then, in the fifth, Friedl made a leaping grab up against the outfield wall to keep the Pirates off base to begin the bottom of the fifth inning.
It’s just the bats that need to get going.
“It’s a long season, we’re going to have these things happen up and down,” Singer said. “We get a day off tomorrow and then get back to work.”
Thursday’s off day will be an important reset point for the Reds.
“I don't care if you won or lost, use it to your advantage,” Francona said of the time off.