Skenes leads Pirates' shutout over Reds in series opener

Pittsburgh – Star right-hander Paul Skenes overcame a tricky start and pitched six scoreless innings to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 7-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in the first game of the four-game series at PNC Park. You may be interested in::Shohei Ohtani reaches 1,000 hits in Major Leagues with a 440-foot home run Although the Reds connected seven hits –the most Skenes has allowed in 47 career starts–, they couldn't capitalize on their opportunities and went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, leaving six men on base in the first six innings. With this performance, Skenes lowered his ERA, the best in the Major Leagues, from 2.02 to 1.94, and extended his scoreless streak against Cincinnati to 22 innings. Pittsburgh's bullpen completed the shutout with one-inning relief appearances from Cam Sanders, Ryan Borucki, and Kyle Nicolas. The Pirates' offense attacked rival starter Brady Singer (9-9) early. Bryan Reynolds opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first inning, followed by a two-run single by Jared Triolo in that same inning. In the seventh inning, Henry Davis extended the lead with a two-run homer, his first since June 7. Reynolds, Triolo, and Davis each had two hits in a 10-hit attack, while Andrew McCutchen stood out by receiving four walks, matching his personal best. With this triumph, the Pirates (50-66) cut a streak in which they had lost four of their last six commitments and gain momentum at the start of the series against a divisional rival.