Pittsburgh Pirates Win 7th Straight Game, Move into First Place in NL Central

The darlings of the early 2023 MLB season, the Pittsburgh Pirates, continued to impress on Sunday. Pittsburgh picked up a 2-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, completing a four-game sweep of their divisional foe and moving into sole possession of first place.

The darlings of the early 2023 MLB season, the Pittsburgh Pirates, continued to impress on Sunday. Pittsburgh picked up a 2-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, completing a four-game sweep of their divisional foe and moving into sole possession of first place.

The Pirates, now 16-7 through their first 23 games, surpassed the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central hierarchy with their victory Sunday and the Brewers' 12-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox. The Pirates have now won seven straight games.

Sunday, the Buccos raised the jolly roger, blanking the Reds 2-0, as veteran starting pitcher Vince Velazquez tossed seven shutout innings, allowing two hits and two walks, while striking out ten. Velazquez passed the baton off to relievers Colin Holderman and David Bednar, who each allowed just one hit and no walks, completing the shutout.

Cincinnati Reds starter Hunter Greene was effective Sunday. The newly extended, blossoming star allowed one run off four hits and two walks over six innings, striking out six.

The Pirates got on the board early due in part to an Andrew McCutchen productive double play that brought home lead-off hitter Ke'Bryan Hayes in the bottom of the first inning. Pittsburgh added on another run in the bottom of the eighth when Jack Suwinski doubled home Carlos Santana.

Now in sole possession of first place, Pittsburgh is one of the best stories of the first month of the new season. The Pirates lost over 100 games in each of their last two seasons, and have not made the postseason since 2015. The club last posted a winning season in 2018, and has never won the NL Central. Pittsburgh last won a division title in 1992, when they were still playing in the NL East.

Over the weekend, the Pirates extended manager Derek Shelton. Shelton's club is inspiring confidence in the early part of the season. It may be early, but with a roster full of talented young players, the Pirates could find themselves in the mix for a division title in the NL Central as early as this season.

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