Quick Snapshot
- Final score: Pirates 3, Reds 1
- Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh
- Date & time: May 21, 2025, first pitch 12:35 p.m.
- Attendance: 17,308
- Series status: Pittsburgh up 2 – 1 with four games left in August
That’s the nutshell. Now let’s unpack how each run crossed the plate, who supplied the big pitches, and why a single insurance tally in the eighth felt twice as large on the scoreboard.
First Inning—Pirates Strike First
Cincinnati right-hander Brady Singer opened with his usual sinker-slider mix but wrestled with command early. After Oneil Cruz lined a single and Isiah Kiner-Falefa doubled, Bryan Reynolds lofted a sacrifice fly to straightaway center. Cruz trotted home, and Pittsburgh held a 1-0 edge without a ball leaving the yard.
Third Inning—Reds Answer
Two frames later, Santiago Espinal poked a single, Elly De La Cruz worked a walk, and Austin Hays rifled a liner past short. Espinal scored, knotting the game at one and nudging Hays’ on-base plus slugging number north of .920.
Fourth Inning—Pirates Move Ahead for Good
The pendulum swung back in the home half when Ke’Bryan Hayes drew a walk and sped to third on Adam Frazier’s single. Rookie catcher Henry Davis then threaded a grounder through the left-side gap, bringing Hayes home for a 2-1 Pittsburgh lead.
Eighth-Inning Cushion
Hayes later cracked a double to deep left and scored on Frazier’s opposite-field single, stretching the margin to 3-1. One extra run felt plenty with Dennis Santana looming.
Reds’ Offense at a Glance
| Batter | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T.J. Friedl | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| S. Espinal | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| E. De La Cruz | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| A. Hays | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| S. Steer | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| T. Stephenson | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| C. Joe | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G. Lux (ph) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| M. McLain | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| R. Hinds | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| W. Benson (ph) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cincinnati logged just four hits—three singles plus a Stephenson double—going 1-for-4 in scoring situations and stranding five.
Pirates’ Offense at a Glance
| Batter | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O. Cruz | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| I. Kiner-Falefa | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| B. Reynolds | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| S. Horwitz | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| A. Canario | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| K. Hayes | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| A. Frazier | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| T. Pham | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| H. Davis | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Pittsburgh finished 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight on board.
Reds on the Mound
- Brady Singer (L 5-3) – 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
- Ian Gibaut – ⅔ IP
- Taylor Rogers – 1 ⅓ IP, 3 K
- Graham Ashcraft – 1 IP, 1 ER
Singer’s sinker lacked late bite, producing more airy flies than grounders. Rogers kept Cincinnati close, but Ashcraft’s cutter over the plate to Hayes opened the eighth-inning door.
Pirates on the Mound
- Andrew Heaney (W 3-3) – 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
- Colton Shugart – 1 IP
- Tanner Rainey – ⅔ IP
- Caleb Ferguson – 1 ⅓ IP, 1 K
- Dennis Santana (SV 5) – 1 IP, 2 K
Heaney retired nine straight after Hays’ single, and Santana slammed the door with wipeout sliders.
Glove and Running Notes
- Rece Hinds threw out Kiner-Falefa at home; Tommy Pham gunned down Spencer Steer to repay the favor.
- Ian Gibaut’s throwing error was the day’s lone miscue.
- Will Benson tried for a late steal, but catcher Henry Davis cut him down.
Turning-Point Moments
- Reynolds’ first-inning sacrifice fly set the tone.
- Davis’ RBI single in the fourth flipped the lead.
- Shugart’s sixth-inning punch-out of Friedl stranded Stephenson’s double.
- Frazier’s eighth-inning single created breathing room. espn.comespn.com
Key numbers underline the story: Pittsburgh cashed in three of nine chances with runners in scoring spots; Cincinnati, one of four. Buccos pitchers pounded the zone—99 strikes in 153 tosses—forcing early swings.
Player Takeaways
- Ke’Bryan Hayes—two runs, sparkling defense.
- Adam Frazier—two opposite-field singles, vital insurance RBI.
- Henry Davis—reached three times, nabbed a base-stealer.
- Austin Hays—supplied Cincinnati’s only RBI and the hardest-hit ball (104 mph).
- Dennis Santana—five-for-five in save chances, ERA under 1.80.
Rivalry Refresh—Why Reds–Pirates Still Matters
Cincinnati and Pittsburgh first squared off in 1882, when the Reds were the Red Stockings and the Pirates were the Alleghenys. They have played more than 2,400 regular-season contests and a memorable 1979 NLCS.
Roster trends diverge—Cincinnati leans on raw athleticism, Pittsburgh on savvy veterans and young arms. Ballpark differences (homer-friendly Great American vs. spacious PNC) and the short four-hour drive keep the rivalry lively; family cars often sport split colors during every series.
Stat Sheets Beyond the Box Score
- Called-strike plus whiff rate: This simple measure adds looking strikes and swing-and-misses, then divides by total pitches. Heaney hit 31 percent (just shy of the 32 percent gold standard); Singer posted 27 percent.
- Win probability added: Frazier’s eighth-inning single boosted Pittsburgh by eight percentage points—the day’s largest swing—while Stephenson’s sixth-inning strikeout clipped Cincinnati by six.
- Pitch-mix tweak: Santana doubled his back-to-back slider usage in the ninth because scouting reports say the Reds struggle with breakers that dive away.
Big-Picture View
The Pirates improved to 38-50, riding a six-game surge; the Reds slipped to 45-42 but remain within single digits of first. The clubs won’t clash again until August 7–10 in Cincinnati, when fresh trade-deadline rosters could tilt the balance.
Final Thoughts
Pittsburgh squeezed extra value from little things—first-pitch strikes, crisp relay throws, and well-placed singles. Cincinnati’s pop and speed never surfaced against a relentless Pirate bullpen. Circle August 7: the rubber match of this seven-game season set may decide more than bragging rights; it could steer NL Central dreams for both ball clubs.
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