CINCINNATI — Pirates starter Jeff Locke kept his unbeaten streak alive Wednesday at Great American Ball Park. Closer Jason Grilli couldn’t say the same about his own impressive run, blowing his first save of the season en route to a 2-1 loss to the Reds in 13 innings.
After Locke threw seven scoreless innings and Mark Melancon gave up just one hit in the eighth, Grilli came on for the ninth looking to match a club record with his 26th straight converted save opportunity. He forced Brandon Phillips into a lineout to start the inning, but in the next at-bat, Jay Bruce took the first pitch he saw and hit the first home run off Grilli this season to even the score.
Four innings later, Phillips ended it for the Reds, hitting a single off Vin Mazarro with the bases loaded for the walk-off win.
Locke was dominant, giving up just four hits and three walks while striking out three. Locke, who has thrown back-to-back seven-inning shutouts, has not lost a decision since his first start on April 7, a stretch covering 13 games.
The Reds had a chance to get to Locke in the second, when Ryan Hanigan hit a double to left field with Zack Cozart on first. Cozart tried to score on the play, but Neil Walker threw him out at home after receiving the relay from Starling Marte.
Pittsburgh capitalized in the next half-inning, in which Marte tripled to center field. In the next at-bat, Russell Martin hit a ball hard back to pitcher Bronson Arroyo, who couldn’t handle it, allowing Marte to score and putting the Pirates on top, 1-0.
That’s where the score stayed, despite numerous chances for the Pirates, until the bottom of the ninth.
The Bucs loaded the bases twice in three innings, the first time coming with two out in the fourth. However, it was Locke that came to the plate with the bases full, and he innocently grounded out to Arroyo to end the inning.
Two innings later, the Pirates had an even better chance, loading the bases with just one out after a single, double and intentional walk. Once again, they couldn’t convert, as Pedro Alvarez was forced out at home on another Locke ground ball, which was followed by a putout at second for the third out.
Pittsburgh had one more solid opportunity in the 12th, when Martin and Gaby Sanchez both walked, but pinch-hitter Brandon Inge hit into a double play to end the threat.
