Skenes strikes out 8 in 6 shutout innings as Pirates beat Reds 7-0

PITTSBURGH — Paul Skenes struck out eight in six shutout innings, Bryan Reynolds and Henry Davis homered and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Cincinnati Reds 7-0 on Thursday night.

Skenes (7-8) allowed seven hits, the highest mark of his career, and remained undefeated against Cincinnati in four career starts. His record streak of allowing six or fewer hits to open an MLB career ended at 46 games. The longest such streak to begin a career (excluding openers), according to OptaStats, had belonged to Shohei Ohtani, who went 31 starts from 2018-21 for the Los Angeles Angels.

Skenes extended his scoreless streak to 27 2/3 innings; he last allowed a run June 8 against Philadelphia. He lowered his ERA to a MLB-best 1.94.

Reynolds opened the scoring with solo homer with two-out in the bottom of the first, and Jared Triolo drove in two more runs. In their last seven games, the Pirates have scored 18 runs in the first.

Spencer Horwitz extended Pittsburgh’s lead with an RBI single in the fourth. Two batters later, Reynolds’ two-out single chased Cincinnati’s Brady Singer (9-9), who allowed six hits and four runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Oneil Cruz added an RBI single in the sixth, and Davis hit a two-run shot in the seventh.

Ke’Bryan Hayes went 1 for 3 in his return to Pittsburgh after a deadline trade sent him to Cincinnati.

Key moment

After Reynolds’ homer in the first, Singer walked three straight batters, setting Jared Triolo up for a bases-loaded single that drove in two runs and put the Pirates ahead to stay.

Key stat

Skenes hasn’t allowed an earned run in Pittsburgh since June 3, against Houston. He hasn’t allowed an earned run against the Reds since June 17, 2024, in Cincinnati.

Up next

Cincinnati RHP Chase Burns (0-3, 6.04) faces Pittsburgh RHP Mitch Keller (5-10, 3.89) in the second game of the four-game series.