Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( May 10, 2016 ) Pittsburgh 0, Cincinnati 0

The Cincinnati Reds finally got a strong performance from their bullpen and ended up with a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, and then received an unscheduled extra day of rest for the overworked relief corps. The bullpen will try to put together back-to-back solid games when the Reds host the Pirates on Wednesday in the finale of a now two-game series, following a rainout on Tuesday.

Cincinnati’s bullpen, which owns a 6.43 ERA, is the worst in the majors and a big reason why the team is five games under .500. Reds starter Dan Straily handed the relievers a 3-2 lead on Thursday and watched J.C. Ramirez and Blake Wood each toss a hitless inning before Tony Cingrani gave up a leadoff double in the ninth only to hold the runner and record the team’s third save in nine chances. The Pirates took two of three from the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend but managed only five hits on Monday to suffer their sixth loss in the last eight contests. Pittsburgh managed two or fewer runs in four of those setbacks and need to gets the bats moving again before visiting the first-place Chicago Cubs over the weekend.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Juan Nicasio (3-3, 3.16 ERA) vs. Reds RH Alfredo Simon (1-3, 9.86)

Nicasio logged a quality start in each of his three wins but failed to go more than five frames in any of his three losses. The 29-year-old Dominican was reached for four runs – one earned – on eight hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings against the Chicago Cubs last time out. Nicasio had no such issues against Cincinnati on April 29, when he scattered three hits and struck out eight over seven scoreless innings.

Simon earned his first win since returning to the Reds when he held the Milwaukee Brewers to three runs and seven hits in a season-high 7 2/3 innings. The Dominican Republic native allowed at least three runs in each of his last five appearances and had not gotten into the sixth inning until Thursday against the Brewers. Simon was not sharp at Pittsburgh on April 30, yielding three runs on six hits and four walks in four innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Reds bullpen allowed at least one run in 27 of the last 29 games.

2. Pittsburgh LF Starling Marte is 9-for-18 in the last four games.

3. Cincinnati 1B Joey Votto drove in at least one run in each of the last four games and homered twice in that span.

PREDICTION: Pirates 5, Reds 3