Pittsburgh Pirates Edge Reds in 11 Innings: Paul Skenes Makes History, Cincinnati Stumbles in NL Wild Card Race (September 24, 2025)

Wednesday, September 24th, 2025

Pittsburgh Pirates Edge Cincinnati Reds 4-3 in 11-Inning Thriller

The Pittsburgh Pirates secured a hard-fought 4-3 victory in extra innings over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night. The win prevented the Reds from gaining ground in the tense National League wild card race.

Game Recap

Spencer Horwitz delivered a clutch run-scoring double in the 11th inning, allowing Bryan Reynolds to cross the plate for his third run of the night. The Reds threatened in the bottom half of the inning by loading the bases, but Pirates reliever Yohan Ramirez induced Noelvi Marte into a force play to seal the win.

Early Pitching Duel

Pirates starter Paul Skenes was dominant in his final scheduled start of the season. He scattered four hits and struck out seven over six innings, maintaining a superb 1.97 ERA. The 23-year-old right-hander became the first qualified pitcher with an ERA under 2.00 since Justin Verlander in 2022. Skenes also finished the year with a 0.95 WHIP and 216 strikeouts, marking an incredible season and becoming the youngest pitcher with a sub-2.00 ERA since Dwight Gooden in 1985.

For Cincinnati, Hunter Greene was impressive on the mound as well. He worked six innings, yielding two runs on five hits while striking out seven. Greene's fastball consistently topped 100 mph, with his tally of 295 pitches thrown at triple digits leading all starters in Major League Baseball.

Late-Inning Drama

The Reds, down by two in the eighth, relied on power to stay alive. Noelvi Marte's inside-the-park home run electrified the home crowd and cut the deficit. Tyler Stephenson followed with a solo shot in the ninth to tie the score at 2-2, sending the game into extra innings.

In the 10th inning, Jack Suwinski ripped an RBI double to put the Pirates ahead again, but the Reds countered with a sacrifice fly from Gavin Lux to keep hopes alive. The see-saw battle culminated in the 11th, when Horwitz's double proved decisive.

Key Moments

Tyler Stephenson narrowly missed a game-tying home run in the fifth inning, settling for a double off the center field wall. Paul Skenes responded by striking out the next two hitters, stranding Stephenson on third.

Records and Milestones

Paul Skenes set a single-season franchise record for strikeouts by a right-handed pitcher with his 211th Ks, surpassing Mitch Keller's 210 set in 2023.

Up Next

The Pirates and Reds will face off again in the series finale on Thursday. Pittsburgh is set to start right-hander Braxton Ashcraft (4-3, 2.62 ERA), while Cincinnati will counter with left-hander Nick Lodolo (8-8, 3.44 ERA).

In summary

The Pittsburgh Pirates outlasted the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 in 11 innings, thanks to Spencer Horwitz's decisive double and strong pitching from Paul Skenes. The extra-inning battle dealt a blow to the Reds' postseason ambitions and featured notable individual performances, including milestone achievements and power-hitting dramatics. As the wild card race heats up, both teams look ahead to the series finale with high stakes on the line.

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