Cincinnati Reds pitchers issued seven consecutive walks to Pittsburgh Pirates batters in the bottom of the second inning, tying a Major League Baseball record during a 17-7 loss at PNC Park. The unusual sequence fueled a five-run inning without a single hit. This marked only the third time in MLB history such a streak has occurred.
In Saturday's game at PNC Park, Reds starter Rhett Lowder and reliever Connor Phillips combined to walk seven straight Pirates batters, leading to a five-run second inning. The Reds trailed 5-3 entering the frame after Lowder's rough first inning, where he allowed five runs on 31 pitches. Lowder walked Brandon Lowe and Bryan Reynolds before a four-pitch free pass to Ryan O'Hearn loaded the bases, prompting manager Terry Francona to pull his rookie right-hander. Phillips then walked Nick Gonzales, Marcell Ozuna, Spencer Horwitz, and Konnor Griffin in succession on four pitches each, forcing in a run and extending the damage. Henry Davis ended the streak with a fielder's choice grounder that scored the inning's fifth run, as 10 Pirates came to the plate without a hit. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the feat ties rare precedents: the White Sox against the Washington Senators on Aug. 28, 1909, and Pirates pitchers Jim Bibby and Jim Winn versus the Atlanta Braves on May 25, 1983. It was also the first time since April 27, 1994—when the Mariners yielded five runs without a hit to the Yankees—that a team allowed five runs in an inning hitless. The Reds' bullpen was taxed following Friday's 9-1 defeat to Pittsburgh.
