Game Log: June 26, 2026 vs Reds
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIN | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 1 |
| PIT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
The Pirates lost the opener to the Reds 6-4 and fell back to 41-41. They spotted Cincinnati four runs in the second, tied it in the sixth, and the bullpen gave up the lead in the eighth.
Konnor Griffin, back in the lineup, homered to lead off the first and put the Pirates up 1-0. That did not hold long. The Reds put up four in the second off Paul Skenes, with a pair of singles from Spencer Steer and Tyler Stephenson doing most of the damage, and a couple of sac flies adding to it. Skenes settled in after that and finished with five innings, four runs, and seven strikeouts.
The Pirates chipped away. Brandon Lowe brought a run in on a sacrifice fly in the fifth to make it 4-2. Then in the sixth, Marcell Ozuna and Esmerlyn Valdez both homered off Andrew Abbott to tie it at 4-4.
Then in the eighth, Mason Montgomery came on and gave up a two-run homer to Noelvi Marte in a pinch hit appearance, to put the Reds up 6-4. The offense had nothing left after that, going down in order against Pierce Johnson and Caleb Ferguson to end it.
The offense finished 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left eight on. Abbott was not sharp and they had their chances, but they could not push a run across in the innings that would have mattered late.
It is a division loss to a team sitting below .500, and it drops them back to even. On to the next one.
Skenes gave up four in the second. Five innings, four runs, seven strikeouts. The second inning was rough, and then he settled in after.
The bats tied it in the sixth. Ozuna and Valdez both homered off of Andrew Abbott to pull even at 4-4.
The eighth got away. Montgomery gave up a two-run homer to Noelvi Marte and the Pirates went quiet after that.