The Pittsburgh Pirates have now won 23 of the last 32 games they have played against the Cincinnati Reds after tonight's 9-6 victory. Keep in mind that Pittsburgh has finished fourth or fifth in the National League Central Division for each of the past three seasons. For the Reds, a too-little-too-late comeback attempt was futile.
The Reds have found out what most in the American League have: Shane Bieber and Mike Clevinger are really good pitchers. The Reds could only muster 3 hits on the night and were shutout for the first time this season.
In a season in which we did not expect rookies to be key figures for the Cincinnati Reds, they were the bright spots on this evening. Catcher Tyler Stephenson and righthander Tejay Antone both made their major league debuts in notable fashions. Unfortunately, that happened because the Reds got behind very early, 6-0, after two innings, as the Chicago Cubs rode that early margin to an eventual 8-7 win. The loss dropped Cincinnati to a 1-3 record in their first four games.