Sal Stewart continued his rise up Cincinnati’s all-time rookie leaderboard and ace Chase Burns allowed just one run and two hits over six innings as the Reds beat the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates 10-2 on Sunday.
Tyler Stephenson homered, doubled and drove in two while Nathaniel Lowe had three hits for the Reds, who claimed three of four from Pittsburgh in the weekend series.
It was the 12th straight win over a span of 17 starts for Burns (13-1). His 12 consecutive winning decisions are the most by a Cincinnati pitcher since Brooks Lawrence won 13 straight decisions in 1956. Burns overcame rain and sloppy field conditions on the mound to finish with nine strikeouts, including the 200th of his career.
Stewart got the scoring underway for the Reds in the first when he homered to left off Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller (6-8).
Keller was tagged for seven runs and six hits over two innings, walking four and striking out two.
The solo shot was Stewart’s 24th of the season, tying Joey Votto in 2008 for the second-most by a Cincinnati rookie. Frank Robinson holds the single-season franchise record for rookies with 38 in 1956.
Stewart increased his RBI total to 85, just 15 shy of the Cincinnati all-time record set by Jim Greengrass in 1953.
Stephenson added an RBI double and Lowe chipped in with a run-scoring single in Cincinnati’s three-run first. Ke’Bryan Hayes homered in the second before the Reds added three more in the third for a 7-0 lead, highlighted by Elly De La Cruz’s two-run single.
As was the case Saturday night, heavy rain was a significant factor in deteriorating field conditions. Rain was falling consistently through the first three innings, making the pitching mound and infield dirt areas slick.
Following an RBI single by Bryan Reynolds off Burns in the fourth inning, crew chief Dan Bellino ordered the mound to be treated. The grounds crew treated that area and the infield. As the delay to treat the field continued, Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly came out to argue and was eventually ejected by Bellino.
Jared Triolo brought in the Pirates’ second run with a single in the eighth, but Stephenson went deep to right in the bottom half to restore the eight-run lead.
