Oneil Cruz Powers Pittsburgh Pirates Past Playoff-Hunting Cincinnati Reds 4-2 on September 23, 2025

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025

Pittsburgh Pirates Defeat Cincinnati Reds 4-2 with Oneil Cruz Home Run

The Pittsburgh Pirates secured a 4-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park, delivering a blow to the Reds’ playoff hopes on Tuesday night. Oneil Cruz powered the Pirates with a critical two-run homer, helping Pittsburgh overcome the wild-card chasing Reds.

Game Summary

The Cincinnati Reds entered the matchup tied with the New York Mets for the third National League wild card, holding a tiebreaker advantage due to a 4-2 season series record over New York. However, Cincinnati’s postseason aspirations took a hit with this loss to Pittsburgh.

The Pirates’ offensive surge came in the second inning, where they plated all four of their runs against starter Brady Singer (14-11). Jack Suwinski led off the rally with a double, eventually scoring on Nick Yorke’s single. Yorke then crossed home from first base on Alexander Canario’s double. Oneil Cruz capped off the inning with his 20th home run of the season, extending Pittsburgh’s lead to 4-0.

Reds rookie Elly De La Cruz, fresh off ending a lengthy homerless drought, responded for Cincinnati with a two-run shot off Pirates starter Johan Oviedo in the bottom of the second, narrowing the gap to 4-2. However, the Reds were unable to generate further offense.

The Reds threatened again in the sixth, putting runners on the corners with two outs. Pittsburgh’s rookie Hunter Barco, making his major league debut, induced a force play from Matt McLain to escape trouble and earn his first career win.

Cincinnati was limited to just five hits on the night and grounded into three consecutive inning-ending double plays, including one in the ninth that sealed the game and earned Dennis Santana his 15th save.

Key Moment

Jack Suwinski appeared to make a highlight-reel diving catch on Will Benson’s drive down the left field line with two outs in the fourth inning. After the Reds challenged, the play was overturned, but Benson ultimately struck out, leaving two runners stranded.

Key Stat

This defeat ended the Reds’ longest winning streak of the season at five games. Cincinnati had previously achieved five-game win streaks four times this year.

Up Next

The Reds will look to rebound on Wednesday night as right-hander Hunter Greene (7-4, 2.74 ERA) takes on Pirates righty Paul Skenes (10-10, 2.03 ERA) in the next matchup of the series.

In summary

The Pittsburgh Pirates upset the Cincinnati Reds 4-2 with a pivotal offensive outburst in the second inning, highlighted by Oneil Cruz’s two-run homer. With playoff implications on the line, the Reds faltered, stalling their five-game win streak and struggling offensively against Pirates pitching. Looking ahead, Cincinnati aims to recover as the series continues, while the Pirates seek to play spoiler as the regular season winds down.

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