Vince Velasquez pitched seven scoreless innings and Jack Suwinski hit an RBI double as the Pittsburgh Pirates downed the visiting Cincinnati Reds 2-0 on Sunday to complete a four-game series sweep.
Velasquez (3-2) allowed two hits, struck out 10 and walked two as he reached 100 pitches.
“The slider was on point,” Velasquez told AT&T Sportsnet.
His quality start came after the Pirates’ string of 11 quality starts in a row got halted Saturday.
Velasquez combined with Colin Holderman, who pitched the eighth, and David Bednar, who pitched the ninth, on a four-hit shutout. Bednar picked up his eighth save, third of the series.
The Pirates have won seven straight overall. It was their second straight series sweep and third of the season.
The Reds have lost six straight and seven of eight. They were outscored 12-6 in the series.
Cincinnati is 5-14 since taking two of three from Pittsburgh in a season-opening series at home. The Reds have been swept twice this year.
Cincinnati starter Hunter Greene (0-1) took a hard-luck loss. He gave up one run and four hits in six innings, with six strikeouts and two walks.
The Reds managed just four hits in all, two by Wil Myers.
The Pirates played without outfielder Bryan Reynolds, who went on bereavement leave.
In the bottom of the first, Ke’Bryan Hayes sent the Reds’ first pitch of the game to the wall in right for a double. Tucupita Marcano moved Hayes to third with a bloop base hit to left. Andrew McCutchen didn’t get an RBI but brought Hayes home when he grounded into a double play for a 1-0 Pittsburgh lead.
Velasquez struck out the side in the fifth inning and added two more strikeouts in the seventh before leaving the mound.
With two outs in the eighth, Carlos Satana reached on an infield hit and stole second. He scored on Suwinski’s double to right to make it 2-0.
–Field Level Media