Pirates shut out woeful Reds again

Jung Ho Kang's seventh-inning RBI double broke up an intense pitchers' duel Friday as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat visiting Cincinnati 2-0, the Reds' sixth straight loss and third in a row by shutout. Adam Frazier added an RBI double in the eighth for the Pirates in support of starting right-hander Joe Musgrove (1-0), who topped Cincinnati righty Sonny Gray (0-2).

The Pirates have won the first two games of the four-game series, both by 2-0 scores. The Reds have not scored since the eighth inning on Tuesday. Pittsburgh's starters have been strong this season, and Musgrove followed suit in his first start of 2019. He pitched seven three-hit innings with eight strikeouts and one walk.

Musgrove had his scheduled first start of the season Saturday washed out. He pitched two scoreless, hitless innings in relief the next day to get some work. The Pirates shut the Reds out in that one, too, 5-0. Pirates starters have given up one run over their past 30 innings.

Keone Kela pitched a perfect eighth and Felipe Vazquez did the same in the ninth for his second save. Gray gave up one run on three hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out seven and not walking a batter.

It was quite a different outing from Gray's first start this season -- his Reds debut, which also came against Pittsburgh. Last Sunday, he had control problems in Cincinnati's 5-0 loss to the Pirates, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings. He did not strike out a single batter in that one. In the seventh Friday, Starling Marte led off with a single to left, advanced to second on a wild pitch and made it to third on Francisco Cervelli's groundout. But he was thrown out at home on Josh Bell's fielder's choice grounder to second.

Kang, playing on his 32nd birthday, followed with a double to the corner in left that scored Bell from first for a 1-0 lead. That chased Gray, and reliever Amir Garrett struck out pinch-hitter Pablo Reyes to end the inning. J.B. Shuck and Erik Gonzalez reached base to lead off the Pirates' eighth with back-to-back bunts. Reliever Zach Duke replaced David Hernandez and gave up a double to left by Frazier, scoring Shuck.

--Field Level Media

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