The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Cincinnati Reds 2-0 Sunday to avoid a series sweep. Paul Skenes pitched five scoreless innings for the Bucs. He struck out nine . He did not walk a batter and allowed just two hits. He lowered his season ERA to 1.99, becoming just the second major league pitcher to have a sub-2.00 ERA since 1913 through his first 22 appearances. He improved to 11-3 overall. Four relievers completed the game with four scoreless innings.
The Pirates have won just one game in each of their last three series against Kansas City, St. Louis and Cincinnati. They are off today, then host the Milwaukee Brewers for their final three home games. The Pirates complete their season against the New York Yankees this Sunday. The Bucs fell 8-3 Friday to Cincinnati and 7-1 Saturday. Saturday’s loss clinched a losing season. They are now 73-83.
Following their game with the Pirates, the Reds fired manager David Bell with five games remaining in their season. Bell had received a three-year contract in July 2023 after the Reds had surged into contention following a 100-loss season in 2022. With Sunday’s loss, they have a 76-81 record.