Pittsburgh Pirates vs Cincinnati Reds — Apr 1, 2026 | AI Prediction & Stats

Paul Skenes’ wipeout stuff should return after his brief, rocky opener, but the Reds’ disciplined top of the order figures to extend counts early. In the third inning a pair of patient at-bats by Matt McLain and Sal Stewart set up Elly De La Cruz, whose switch-hit power tags a first-pitch heater for a two-run double down the line. Andrew Abbott mixes his high-ride four-seamer and sweeping curve to cruise through two frames before surrendering a solo shot to red-hot Brandon Lowe in the second. Abbott settles, flashing his improved changeup to neutralize Pittsburgh’s right-handed bench bats, and Cincinnati manufactures another run in the fifth when Will Benson legs out a triple into the alley and scores on a Spencer Steer sacrifice fly. Skenes exits after five (95 pitches, 3 ER), keeping the Pirates within striking distance. Pittsburgh closes to 3-2 in the sixth when Ryan O’Hearn ambushes a first-pitch cutter from reliever Graham Ashcraft, lining an RBI single through the shift. The Reds answer immediately: McLain draws his second walk, steals second, and scores on Sal Stewart’s opposite-field single off Justin Lawrence in the seventh. Cincinnati’s late-inning bullpen trio of Tony Santillan, Sam Moll, and Connor Phillips has been spotless and holds again, though Henry Davis’ eighth-inning RBI double off Santillan narrows it to 4-3. Sam Moll strands the tying run at third by freezing Nick Gonzales with a back-door slider. Pierce Johnson gets the ninth because Alexis Díaz is unavailable, but Johnson induces a game-ending 6-4-3 double play from Oneil Cruz, sealing a tight Reds victory. Expect a crisp, low-scoring contest shaped by two quality starters, with Cincinnati’s marginally deeper bullpen and home-park familiarity providing the decisive edge.