CINCINNATI _ The smoke from fireworks blasts floated over the Great American Ball Park outfield as right-hander Gerrit Cole strode slowly to the dugout. He had walked into the home half of the sixth inning with the Pirates' only hit and spinning a one-hitter. He walked away four batters later, following a four-batter sequence which went walk, home run, walk, home run.
The Reds swept the series with a 5-2 win and rounded out the season series with 13 wins in 19 games against the Pirates. One day after being officially eliminated from postseason contention, the Pirates (68-82) clinched their second consecutive losing season.
"When you get eliminated and you're on the verge of a losing season, it reminds us all that we didn't do our jobs very well," said general manager Neal Huntington, who earlier this month signed a four-year contract extension. "We all have work to do. We have the capacity to be better, the expectation to be better, and now we continue the work to be better."
Cole (11-11) earned the loss, allowing four runs on three hits and four walks in five-plus innings. The Pirates offense did not help. They had three hits. Their first hit from someone not named Cole was Josh Bell's seventh-inning single. John Jaso later smacked a two-run homer. The Pirates have lost 10 of their past 11 games. In those losses, they scored only 15 total runs.
In the three-game series, Reds starters allowed one run in 19 2/3 innings.
The Reds, meanwhile, received sixth-inning homers from Eugenio Suarez, his 26th this season, and Scooter Gennett, his 25th. Cincinnati has five 25-homer hitters this season _ Joey Votto, Adam Duvall, Scott Schebler, Suarez and Gennett _ tying a club record set in 1956 by this fearsome five: Frank Robinson, Wally Post, Ted Kluszewski, Gus Bell and Ed Bailey.
Since leveling at .500 with a win Aug. 11 in Toronto, the Pirates are 10-24.
