Postgame Takeaways: Cincinnati Reds Beat Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1

The Reds win breaks a three-game losing streak.

Greg Kuffner | Jun 18, 2024

Jun 12, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Alexis Diaz (43) pitches against the Cleveland Guardians in the ninth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports / Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

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Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 on Tuesday night, ending their three-game losing streak.

The Reds improve to 35-38 on the season, while the Pirates fall to 35-38. Here are our postgame takeaways:

Nick At Night

In a game where the Reds needed a "stopper," Nick Lodolo absolutely delivered. He thew seven innings of one-run baseball, giving up four hits. He didn't walk a batter and struck out eight. Lodolo's ERA now sits at 2.76 on the season and the Reds are now 9-2 in games started by him this season.

Santiago Espinal's Big Hit

With Pirates starting pitcher Bailey Falter rolling, Santiago Espinal stepped up to the plate with a runner on second and hit a ball into the left-field stands to give the Reds a 2-0 lead. It was Espinal's fourth home run of the season and those two runs were all the Reds would need.

Stuart Fairchild Great Play

In the eighth inning, with a man on first base, Fernando Cruz was on the mound facing the Pirates' best hitter Bryan Reynolds. Reynolds smoked a ball to center field, but Stuart Fairchild ran it down and caught it near the center field wall and then turned around and threw it to first base for an inning-ending double play.

That'll end the inning!

Thanks to the hustle of Stuart Fairchild in center field, the @Reds turn an 8-6-3 double play to end the eighth inning to preserve a 2-1 lead over the Pirates. pic.twitter.com/zIiLZlRFd1
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) June 19, 2024

Alexis Diaz Slams The Door

There has been a lot of talk around if the Reds should change closers with Alexis Diaz struggling a bit as of late. With a one-run lead in the ninth, Diaz came in and threw a scoreless 1-2-3 innings for his 16th save of the season.

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