CINCINNATI _ Entering the top of the ninth inning on Wednesday night, the Pirates faced a one-run deficit.
Left fielder Adam Frazier gave a mighty swing and produced a sharp line drive to left field, but it was caught. Third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes weakly grounded out to the pitcher. Designated hitter Colin Moran waved and missed at a ball in the dirt.
So ended an extremely tough offensive night and series for the Pirates, who produced just six runs in 32 innings against the Cincinnati Reds over four games, striking out 45 times in the process en route to a four-game sweep.
For the eighth game in a row, the Pirates lost. This time it was 1-0.
Perhaps nobody exemplified the futility of the four-game series for the Pirates better than catcher John Ryan Murphy. It would be an understatement to say he has struggled at the plate against the Reds this season. In his 12 plate appearances against Cincinnati this season, he has struck out in all 12 of them. That included an 0-for-2, two strikeout performance on Wednesday, which ended when he was pinch-hit for by outfielder Bryan Reynolds in the top of the eighth.
Shortstop Erik Gonzalez, one of the more reliable bats in the Pirates' lineup this season, finished 0 for 3 with three strikeouts. Second baseman Kevin Newman had two more himself. Right fielder Gregory Polanco extended his hitless streak to five games and now has two hits in his last 36 at-bats.
Basically, Reds starter Luis Castillo had his way with the Pirates, giving up just three hits _ all singles _ and lasting seven innings. That gave way to right-handed reliever Archie Bradley and closer Raisel Iglesias, and the Pirates find no answers against them, either.
The only real bright spots in the lineup were Hayes, who scalded a single into right in the first, and designated hitter Josh Bell, who did the same in the fourth, extending his current hitting streak to 10 games. Newman added another single, but that was all.
It wasted a very good pitching performance from right-hander JT Brubaker, who allowed one run on five hits and struck out four Reds in 5 2/3 innings, and the Pirates' bullpen, who gave up next to nothing. It was the first time since Aug. 30, and the fourth time all season, that the Pirates held an opponent to one run or fewer, but it still, somehow, was not enough.
Brubaker's only blemish came in the fifth. After inducing two outs to start the inning, Jose Garcia and Curt Casali singled, eventually getting to second and third with savvy baserunning. Shogo Akiyama then singled to left field, scoring Garcia, but a quick throw in from left fielder Adam Frazier halted Casali in his tracks and caught Akiyama between first and second. Hayes turned, ran down Akiyama, then flipped around and caught Casali trying to sneak home to score, nabbing him at the plate to end the inning.
Other than that, Brubaker was quite good. He mixed his sinker and slider well with his other pitches, getting whiffs on 33% of the Reds' swings during his outing.
The effort was for naught, though, as the Pirates swung and missed plenty in their own right, losing yet again as the season draws closer to its end.
