PITTSBURGH — The Pirates have found a way to win baseball games despite their punchless offense.
Their solution? Simply allow fewer runs.
On the day the Pirates tied a major league record with their 26th consecutive game with four or fewer runs, they won anyway, beating the Cincinnati Reds 3-1 on Wednesday afternoon at PNC Park. The Pirates took two out of three from the Reds, allowing one run over the final 18 innings.
With the 26th consecutive game of four or fewer, they tied the 1931 Boston Braves and 1969 California Angels for the all-time mark.
Pirates starter Andrew Heaney completed five innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks. He struck out four. Four relievers combined for the final four innings. Dennis Santana pitched the ninth and earned his fifth save of the season.
The Pirates looked like they might break out of their offensive funk in the first against Reds starter Brady Singer. Center fielder Oneil Cruz led off the game with a single, ending an 0 for 18 skid, before shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa doubled him to third. Designated hitter Bryan Reynolds hit a sacrifice fly to score Cruz and advance Kiner-Falefa to third. Kiner-Falefa was sent home on an Alexander Canario lineout to shallow left field and was thrown out comfortably by right fielder Rece Hinds, even though the throw was slightly offline.
The Reds tied it in the third with a two-out rally off Heaney. Santiago Espinal singled, advanced to second on a walk, then scored on a single from designated hitter Austin Hays.
The Pirates got their second run in the fifth, earning Heaney the win. With runners on first and second and one out, catcher Henry Davis singled home Ke’Bryan Hayes from second with a hard-hit single to left.
It was over when …
Pittsburgh added insurance in the eighth when Hayes doubled and Frazier singled him home.
On the mound
Heaney wasn’t at his sharpest, needing 97 pitches to complete five innings. But he only allowed one run, while the bullpen did its job to secure the win. Chase Shugart, Tanner Rainey, Caleb Ferguson and Santana combined for the final four innings.
At the plate
The Pirates weren’t able to bring many runners home but did hit Singer fairly well. They ended the game with nine hits, going 3 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
Most valuable player
Davis proved a surprising hero. Beyond calling the game, he also went 2 for 2 with a walk and an RBI. He threw out a runner stealing to end the seventh and on a relay throw home in the sixth deked a runner and made it look like he had more time before tagging him out.
Roster move
Before the game, the Pirates optioned starting pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski to Triple-A Indianapolis and called up right-hander Mike Burrows.
Mlodzinski, a former reliever, made nine starts for the Pirates. He was 1-4 with a 5.67 ERA. Burrows made his major league debut in the penultimate game last season and was called up earlier this year, though he did not appear in any games.
Up next
The Pirates will welcome the Milwaukee Brewers to PNC Park for a four-game series starting Thursday at 6:40 p.m. ET.
Thursday’s matchup will reportedly feature two pitchers making their 2025 debuts. Burrows will throw for the Pirates, making just the second start of the year, while the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported right-hander Carlos Rodriguez will start for the Brewers. Rodriguez made three starts in 2024, losing all three and finishing with a 7.30 ERA.
