Pirates walk all over Reds, score season-high 17 runs

Colin Beazley, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on May 2, 2026

Published in Baseball

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PITTSBURGH — It’s an oft-used baseball cliche that hitting can be contagious. On Saturday, the Cincinnati Reds showed that walks can be contagious, too.

The Pittsburgh Pirates hammered the Reds 17-7 on Saturday afternoon at PNC Park, aided by 19 hits and 11 Reds walks. The Reds walked seven consecutive batters in the second inning, allowing the Pirates to score five runs without recording a hit.

The Pirates scored five runs in the first, second and fourth innings, allowing them to race to a 15-3 lead before the game was even halfway complete. Every Pirates starter scored a run, while eight of nine (all but Henry Davis) recorded a hit.

Carmen Mlodzinski struck out a career-high 10 batters in 5 2/3 innings. His line otherwise wasn’t particularly pretty — eight hits, five earned runs, two walks and a hit by pitch — but he also received little help. Oneil Cruz called off Bryan Reynolds on a first-inning fly ball he couldn’t get to, allowing two runs to score, and Chris Devenski allowed a two-run home run to JJ Bleday to allow an inherited runner to score.

Mlodzinski’s biggest job was to give the Pirates’ bullpen length after the offense spotted him 15 runs, and for the most part, he did that. He threw 101 pitches, 67 for strikes.

The Pirates tagged Reds starter Rhett Lowder early. After falling behind 2-0, they scored four runs within six batters and batted around in the first inning. Ryan O’Hearn, Marcell Ozuna and Konnor Griffin all had RBI doubles in the frame.

The walks came in the second. After striking out Cruz, Lowder walked three in a row and loaded the bases before Reds manager Terry Francona decided he’d seen enough. He brought in right-hander Connor Phillips, who walked four more before Francona went to the bullpen again.

Catcher Jose Trevino pitched the final two innings for Cincinnati, throwing 35 mph eephuses for the second consecutive night. He allowed an RBI double to Spencer Horwitz and an RBI single to Ozuna in the eighth.

It was over when …

… the Pirates tacked on their third five-spot in the fourth. O’Hearn had the big hit, a two-run single off the top of the Clemente Wall. Despite scoring 17 runs, the Pirates didn’t have a homer.

On the mound

Devenski was brought in for mop up duty after Mlodzinski left, but he wasn’t able to provide that. He allowed Bleday’s two-run homer, then in the seventh, was ejected by first base umpire Alan Porter. Porter ruled Devenski had thrown at Reds rookie Sal Stewart.

Yohan Ramirez pitched two innings instead, with Gregory Soto pitching the ninth.

At the plate

At the end of the fourth inning, the Pirates were 9 for 19 with runners in scoring position. They finished the game 12 for 24.

Bryan Reynolds went 2 for 3 with a double, two walks and three runs. Griffin finished a homer away from the cycle after tripling and scoring in the fourth.

Most valuable player

Brandon Lowe went 1 for 1 with four walks and three runs scored.

Up next

The Pirates will go for the sweep on Sunday afternoon at 1:35 p.m. ET. Right-hander Braxton Ashcraft (1-2, 3.71) will pitch against Reds right-hander Chase Burns (3-1, 2.65).

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