Pirates Make Historic Comeback to Defeat Reds 13-12
CINCINNATI — In a thrilling game on Saturday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates overcame a nine-run deficit to secure a historic 13-12 victory against the Cincinnati Reds. This win not only prevented the Pirates from having a losing record, but it also marked the largest comeback in the franchise’s 142-year history.
The Pirates’ chances seemed bleak as they trailed the Reds by nine runs by the third inning. However, they remained resilient and mounted an impressive rally by scoring 13 unanswered runs. Prior to this game, the Pirates had never won a game after trailing by such a wide margin.
This comeback dealt a significant blow to the Reds, who are now 2 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs for the final National League Wild Card spot. While the Reds hold the tiebreaker over Chicago and Arizona, they still need to surpass the Marlins to secure a playoff spot.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton expressed his pride in the team’s performance, stating, “It feels good tonight. I’m just really proud of our group. I would say it’s right at the top…to do that, yeah, this ranks right at the top.”
The comeback began when the Pirates scored a run in the fourth inning, followed by a series of successful at-bats against Reds starter Connor Phillips. Alex Young took over as pitcher for the Reds, but the Pirates continued their surge with RBI singles from Ji Hwan Bae and Joshua Palacios. Bryan Reynolds then hit a three-run homer that cut the deficit to three runs.
The seventh and eighth innings proved to be pivotal for the Pirates, with multiple batters reaching base and contributing to the scoring effort. Alfonso Rivas played a key role, hitting a bases-clearing double that tied the game. In the eighth inning, Jack Suwinski and Ji Hwan Bae delivered RBI singles, and Bae added a two-run double. This marked the second consecutive game in which the Pirates scored thirteen runs.
Although the Pirates’ postseason hopes have been eliminated mathematically, they have been encouraged by their recent strong performances. Reynolds, who extended his on-base streak to 21 games, stated, “We’re playing really good baseball right now…We’re just going to keep going and keep getting better and set it up well for whatever the future holds.”
While the offensive contributions were crucial to the comeback, the Pirates’ exceptional defensive plays cannot be overlooked. Catcher Endy Rodríguez made a pivotal block on a ball in the dirt in the eighth inning and teamed up with Bae for a last-second, inning-ending double play. In the ninth inning, Rodríguez’s mound visit and the pitching of Carmen Mlodzinski sealed the victory for the Pirates.
Third baseman Jared Triolo, who had an outstanding performance, going 4-for-5 with three runs, highlighted the importance of the team’s culture moving forward, stating, “I just feel like that’s the new culture we want to set going forward…It was a really fun game to play in, probably really fun to watch as well.”
The Pirates’ historic comeback victory serves as a testament to their resilience and determination, leaving fans eagerly anticipating their future performances.