The Cincinnati Reds have an injury-plagued bullpen and are down another key starter, yet they stand one game from sweeping the Pirates as they enter the finale of a three-game series on Sunday in Pittsburgh.
The Reds will turn to right-hander Brady Singer (3-6, 4.81 ERA), hoping he can continue producing effective results as he opposes Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller (5-5, 4.89).
Cincinnati is expected to be without center fielder Blake Dunn once again after he sat out the Saturday game due to right elbow discomfort. Dunn appeared to hurt his elbow when firing a long throw to home plate during the fifth inning of the Reds’ 6-4 win on Friday. According to manager Terry Francona, Dunn likely will head back to Cincinnati for further testing on Sunday.
Singer will try to keep the Pirates’ lineup in check and preserve the Reds’ bullpen. He has pitched well this month, allowing two earned runs or fewer in each of his four starts while going 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA.
The Reds were unable to capitalize on Singer’s most recent start, when he threw seven scoreless innings and allowed two hits and two walks while striking out seven on Monday. Cincinnati, however, was unable to back him up and fell 2-1 in 10 innings at Milwaukee.
Still, the right-hander’s recent recovery has been a welcome sight for the team after Singer was 2-5 with a 6.18 ERA through the end of May.
“Boy, he looks a lot more like Singer,” Francona said after the Monday game. “You can tell his confidence is growing, and he’s been working hard. He got some swings below the zone on his breaking ball, got some up high on his fastball — changed their eye levels.”
The Pirates earned a 9-1 home victory over the Reds on May 1, the last time they faced Singer. He lasted just 3 1/3 innings and gave up four runs on seven hits, including homers by Bryan Reynolds and Henry Davis, while walking two and striking out one.
For his career, Singer is 2-5 with a 6.82 ERA in seven starts against the Pirates.
Keller took a lead into the seventh inning in his most recent start, on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners. However, a two-run homer by Cole Young flipped the game and dealt Keller and the Pirates a 3-2 loss.
On the plus side, Keller did not issue multiple walks for the first time in four starts, and he pitched six innings for the first time since May 24. He wound up yielding three runs on seven hits in six-plus innings. He fanned four and walked one.
“Definitely a lot of positives from the way it’s been going,” Keller said after the outing. “Getting back to what I’m good at. I throw six different pitches, and using those to get ahead, rather than just handcuffing myself to a couple, just keeping it open.”
Keller picked up a win in the May 1 game against the Reds, giving up one run on three hits and one walk while striking out six in seven innings. That was the third straight outing that he allowed two runs or fewer against Cincinnati. Overall, Keller is 4-6 with a 5.29 ERA in 20 career starts against the Reds.
The Pirates continue to hit well, but their bullpen continues to struggle. On Saturday, closer Gregory Soto failed to nail down what could have been a comeback victory. Esmerlyn Valdez homered in the eighth to give Pittsburgh a 7-6 lead, but Eugenio Suarez’s three-run shot in the ninth off Soto lifted Cincinnati to a 9-7 victory.
Reynolds extended his hitting streak to 17 games and his on-base streak to 32 games.
–Field Level Media
