Overton gets first win as Reds blank Pirates
PITTSBURGH – Connor Overton got his first major league win and combined with two relievers on a four-hitter for the Cincinnati Reds’ first shutout of the season, a 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night.
Overton (1-0) allowed three hits and four walks in 6 1/3 innings with one strikeout. The 28-year-old right-hander got nine outs on ground balls.
A 2014 amateur draft pick who debuted last August with Toronto, Overton was claimed by the Pirates in September and made five appearances for Pittsburgh. He became a free agent after he refused an outright assignment, and he signed with the Reds in November.
Luis Cessa got five straight outs, and Art Warren pitched around a leadoff single by Ke’Bryan Hayes in the ninth, getting Daniel Vogelbach to ground into a game-ending double play.
Cincinnati has the worst record in the major leagues at 8-24; the Reds are 3-1 against Pirates and 5-23 against other teams.
Pirates starter JT Brubaker (0-3) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings.
Cam Alldred, a 25-year-old left-hander, made his MLB debut in the sixth. Alldred, who potched for the University of Cincinnati from 2016-18, retired Mike Moustakas on a popout, threw a called third strike past Tyler Stephenson and retired Colin Moran on a groundout.
Alldred gave up a leadoff single in the seventh to Tyler Naquin, then was replaced by Heath Hembree.
Stephenson hit a second-inning single that drove in Moustakas, who led off with a double, and hit a 401-foot home run into the left field bleachers in the fourth. Stephenson had three hits, raising hits, raising his batting average to .349.
Moran and Naquin hit RBI singles in the eighth off Duane Underwood Jr., who was activated from the 10-day injured list following a right hamstring strain that had sidelined him since April 8.
The Pirates claimed pitcher Tyler Beede off waivers from San Francisco, recalled infielder Rodolfo Castro from Triple-A Indianapolis, optioned shortstop Cole Tucker and pitcher Max Kranick to Triple-A and designated pitcher Beau Sulser for assignment.