PITTSBURGH (AP) — Carmen Mlodzinski had a career-high 10 strikeouts, Pittsburgh tied the MLB record for consecutive walks in an inning, and the Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds 17-7 on Saturday.
The Pirates drew seven consecutive walks in their five-run second inning, tying the mark set by the Chicago White Sox (Aug. 28, 1909) and Atlanta Braves (May 25, 1983). Pittsburgh's first four runs in the inning came without putting a ball in play before Henry Davis grounded into an RBI force out to cap the inning and make it 10-3.
The Pirates set season highs for runs (17) and hits (19), and each of Pittsburgh’s starters in the lineup had at least one RBI.
Mlodzinski (2-2) gave up five runs, eight hits and walked two in 5 1/3 innings.
Ryan O’Hearn, Marcell Ozuna and Konnor Griffin each had an RBI double in the first inning and the Pirates led 5-2 going into the second.
O'Hearn and Ozuna had three RBIs apiece and Griffin was 4 for 5 with a triple, a double and two RBIs. Spencer Horwitz and Nick Gonzales each drove in two runs. Brandon Lowe walked four times, the most by a Pirates player this season, and scored three runs.
Cincinnati starter Rhett Lowder (3-2) allowed eight runs and five hits in 1 1/3 innings.
Will Benson and JJ Bleday each hit a home run for the Reds. Nathaniel Lowe went 2 for 4 with a double and three RBIs.
The Pirates beat the Reds 9-1 in the series opener Friday to snap a five-game losing streak.
Cincinnati's Chase Burns (3-1, 2.65 ERA) is set to pitch Sunday opposite Braxton Ashcraft (1-2, 3.71) to conclude a three-game series.
___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
