Trio of homers not enough in loss to Reds

After dropping the last two games of their opening series against the Cubs over the weekend, the Pirates finally came out as hot as can be Monday against the Reds.

Third baseman Phillip Evans hit a one-out solo shot in the top of the first, the second home run of his career. First baseman Colin Moran followed it up two batters later with a solo shot of his own, his second home run in as many games. Eight innings later, left fielder Bryan Reynolds added a leadoff homer in the top of the ninth.

Turns out, the long ball wouldn’t be enough to end Pittsburgh’s skid.

The Pirates mustered just two other hits over the last eight innings -- including a single by starting pitcher JT Brubaker in his first career at-bat -- and struck out 15 times in the 5-3 loss to Cincinnati. Reliever Sam Howard took the loss after allowing a go-ahead home run to Reds right fielder Nick Castellanos in the seventh inning.

"I thought in the middle part of the game, we were a little bit late to hit. I think that was the thing that stood out,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. “Evans and Moran had a good at-bat, Reynolds had it, but I thought in the middle of the game, we were a bit tardy to hit."

Moran has been the most reliable hitter for the Pirates in the early going. Through four games, he owns a .357 average and a 1.328 OPS. Though six of his 14 at-bats have ended in a strikeout, he also has a team-high three RBIs and two home runs, mostly hitting cleanup.

That success continued against Cincinnati. Moran’s home run in the first inning gave Brubaker a 2-0 lead before he even threw a pitch, and Moran’s single in the ninth following Reynolds’ shot brought the tying run to the plate.

Aside from Moran’s 2-for-4 night, however, there was very little offensive success for Pittsburgh.

Every hitter, except for Brubaker and pinch-hitter Kevin Newman who had an at-bat each, went down swinging at least once against the Reds. Once Cincinnati starter José De León got comfortable after the first inning, he and three other pitchers allowed just three Pittsburgh baserunners from the second through the eighth.

"I think De León did a nice job. He settled down after the two homers in the first,” Shelton said. “Really used his fastball effectively. Located his fastball, used it later in counts, did a nice job with it, and it gave us a little trouble.”

If anything, the ninth inning showed the Pirates can put up a fight. Reynolds’ home run made it a two-run game. A fielder’s-choice grounder by right fielder Gregory Polanco followed Moran’s single, and catcher Jacob Stallings worked a seven-pitch walk to bring the go-ahead run to the plate.

But there was no late rally in the cards, as Newman grounded out to end the game.

“We got to the back end of their bullpen. Still gave a fight,” Shelton said. “[Amir] Garrett's one of the better closers in the game, and we continued to grind out at-bats and had an opportunity, and just didn't capitalize.”

Pittsburgh managed just six hard-hit balls on the night, and the 5-for-32 showing dropped the overall team batting average to .206. Dynamic rookie third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes remains on the shelf after being put on the 10-day injured list Sunday, so the Pirates will need to find someone to provide an offensive spark.

“We did stretch together some good at-bats the way we came back there in the ninth,” Moran said. “We put up a good fight. Just keep battling. We have a lot of really talented hitters, so just keep going up there and putting up good at-bats.

“We’re going to score runs.”