CINCINNATI -- No one else in the Reds' rotation can say this yet: When Brady Singer starts, the lineup provides run support.
It happened again Friday as Singer became a winner in his third straight start during Cincinnati's 5-3 victory over the Pirates. The Reds have won three of their last four games.
Singer, who didn't allow a hit over four scoreless innings to open the game, gave up three runs and two hits over five innings, with three walks and three strikeouts. Over his three starts, Cincinnati has scored 30 runs -- an average of 10 per game. The Reds have scored 23 runs over their other 11 games this season.
¡°They¡¯ve been awesome. They¡¯ve given me a lot of cushion these first three games and they¡¯ve just battled," said Singer, who is 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA.
It wasn't just the offense that picked up Singer this time. There were two sterling defensive plays and excellent work from the bullpen behind him with four scoreless innings. It was capped by Emilio Pagán's third save.
On a cold, blustery evening with temperatures in the 40s, Singer didn't like his rhythm in the game.
¡°A lot of walks, a lot of balls, a lot of [being] behind in counts," he said. "I just kind of tried to battle through with what I had. I didn¡¯t feel as sharp as I sometimes usually do. We won and that¡¯s all that matters.¡±
The Reds had the bases loaded on three walks in the first inning against Bailey Falter before Spencer Steer grounded into a run-scoring double play. But the slumping Jeimer Candelario -- who was 4-for-his-last-40 -- picked up Steer by lifting Falter's 2-0 pitch into the left-field seats for a two-run home run and a 3-0 lead.
¡°[Singer] pitches with great tempo and he fills up the zone," Steer said. "You can ask anyone who plays a position, that¡¯s what you love most. He gets you off the field and that keeps the offense in rhythm, especially when you¡¯re scoring runs. I think he does a great job with that.¡±
Two more walks by Falter in the third inning helped the Reds build on their lead without a hit with the help of a quirky play. With runners on first and second base, Falter threw a wild pitch. As runners advanced, Pirates catcher Endy Rodr¨ªguez's throw to get Elly De La Cruz at third base zipped by Ke'Bryan Hayes and went all the way to the left-field corner.
De La Cruz scored, and, running from first base, Steer was waved around by third-base coach J.R. House and hustled home to make it a 5-0 game.
¡°Once it got past third, I knew there was a chance," Steer said. "I knew I wasn¡¯t going to get thrown out at third, so obviously I kind of rounded it like I was going home. [House] sent me. Just keep running until they stop you.¡±
With one out in the top of the fifth inning, Singer surrendered his first hit, an RBI double by Tommy Pham. Adam Frazier later hit a two-run homer to left field to make it a two-run game.
¡°I thought both pitchers looked like they had a tough time getting a feel," Reds manager Terry Francona said. "Kind of a high pitch count [for Singer]. I was hoping to get six, and after the kid hit the home run, I was like, ¡®OK, that¡¯s enough.¡¯ He had worked pretty hard. What he does is good. Tonight was five.¡±
Defense loomed large to help the Reds stay in the lead. In the fourth inning on Tsung-Che Cheng's sharp grounder, second baseman Santiago Espinal made a nice dive to his right before getting up and throwing to first base for the second out.
In the sixth inning with Reds reliever Taylor Rogers pitching, Rodr¨ªguez hit a two-out drive off the left-field wall. Gavin Lux played the carom perfectly and threw out Rodr¨ªguez at second base as he tried for a double.
¡°That was a nice throw by Gavin. He¡¯s spent a lot of time out there working hard, so that was nice to see," Francona said. "And Espy, wherever we put him, he just catches it -- which is a compliment.¡±
After Rogers, Graham Ashcraft worked two innings and Pag¨¢n closed the game with two strikeouts during a perfect ninth inning.
¡°It was a good win," Pag¨¢n said. "We probably could have stepped on their throats there a little bit early in the game. But any time you get a win, it¡¯s a good thing. We played well.¡±