The Cincinnati Reds suffered a brutal 17-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, a game that unraveled almost from the first pitch. It was a tough afternoon for the Reds, who never really found their footing after starting pitcher Rhett Lowder delivered a performance he'd surely like to forget.
Lowder, the right-handed hurler, exited the game in the second inning after surrendering eight earned runs. He walked four batters and managed just one strikeout before being pulled. Unfortunately, the bullpen couldn't stop the bleeding, allowing nine more runs to cross the plate as the Pirates piled on.
On a brighter note, Cincinnati's lineup showed some fight. Scoring seven runs would typically give a team a solid chance to win, but on this day, it wasn't nearly enough against a red-hot Pittsburgh offense.
The Pirates' bats were on fire. Marcell Ozuna collected three hits and three RBIs, while Ryan O'Hearn also added three hits. But the standout performance came from Konnor Griffin, who delivered one of the best games of his professional career, finishing with four hits in five at-bats.
For Lowder, Saturday's outing pushed his ERA to 5.09 for the 2026 season. While he's still viewed as a pitcher with a high ceiling, this campaign hasn't gone according to plan. That said, he's actually pitched better than the numbers suggest—this was only the second time this season he's allowed more than three runs in a start.
The organization still believes in Lowder. There's no denying Saturday was a difficult start, but he's more than capable of bouncing back. Even the greatest pitchers in baseball history have had a few rough outings.
This series in Pittsburgh has been a tough one for Cincinnati. After dropping Friday's game 9-1 and Saturday's 17-7, the Pirates are swinging the bats with confidence right now.
Although the Reds have already lost the series, they can still avoid a sweep with a win on Sunday. Chase Burns (3-1, 2.65 ERA) will take the mound, tasked with quieting the Pirates' hot bats. It's a daunting challenge given how the first two games have gone, but Burns is in the middle of a strong season and could be just the pitcher to turn things around.