PITTSBURGH (AP) – Eugenio Suarez and Scooter Gennett hit solo home runs and the Cincinnati Reds pounced on a wild night by Pittsburgh’s Tyler Glasnow in a 7-1 victory on Monday.
Glasnow (0-1), making his season debut after locking down the fifth starting spot in spring training, failed to make it out of the second inning as he battled control issues. The right-hander walked five – including four straight in the first – and left after throwing just 35 of his 64 pitches for strikes.
Billy Hamilton had two of Cincinnati’s eight hits and added a pair of stolen bases. Michael Lorenzen (1-0) picked up the win with three shutout innings in relief of erratic starter Brandon Finnegan. Cincinnati’s bullpen retired 21 straight to end the game.
Pittsburgh managed just four hits and stranded eight after going 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
An early season matchup between a pair of 23-year-olds whose development could have a significant impact on their team’s respective seasons never materialized.
Finnegan dominated while pitching seven innings of one-hit ball in a victory over Philadelphia last week, walking one and striking out nine. His crispness deserted him against the Pirates as the 23-year-old walked five and left in the top of the third after loading the bases then walking in a run when his 3-2 pitch to Francisco Cervelli missed the strike zone.
Lorenzen came in and shut the door immediately, getting Josh Bell to fly to center, Adam Frazier to hit into a force out at the plate and striking out Pittsburgh reliever Wade LeBlanc to preserve a 5-1 lead.
It’s an advantage the Reds didn’t have to do much to create, instead just watching as Glasnow fought a losing battle with his command. Glasnow earned a call up last summer after dominating at Triple-A but struggled in seven appearances, losing his only two decisions and walking 13 in 23 1/3 innings.
Glasnow spent the offseason trying to refine his stuff and become more adept at holding runners on base. He didn’t take a step forward in either department in his 2017 debut.
Hamilton led off the first with a single then stole second and moved to third on a pop fly. Four consecutive walks followed, all of them on 3-2 counts. By the time Tucker Barnhart grounded out to first, the Reds were up 3-0. Things got no better for Glasnow in the second. Hamilton and Jose Peraza singled with one out, moved up a base on a double steal and scored on a two-run single by Adam Duvall.
Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle made a rare non-pitching change visit to the mound to try to settle Glasnow down but it didn’t work. He left to a smattering of boos after his fifth and final walk of a forgettable night.
