Cincinnati Reds OF TJ Friedl Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Reds struggles continue with historic collapse vs. Pirates

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 9/23/23

Despite being in the thick of the National League wild-card race, the Cincinnati Reds continue to struggle, dropping their fourth straight game on Saturday in historic fashion.

The Reds made the record books for all the wrong reasons against the Pittsburgh Pirates, falling 13-12 after blowing a 9-0 lead. The Reds tied a franchise record for the largest blown lead ending in a loss. Meanwhile, for the Pirates, it's the biggest come-from-behind win in the team's 142-year existence, per ESPN Stats and Info.

Cincinnati built a nine-run lead after three innings, but the Pirates chipped away, scoring five runs in the sixth before tying the game with four more runs in the seventh. The Pirates would take the lead in the eighth, batting four runs across the plate before holding off the Reds' desperate attempts to salvage a game they already had won.

Don't. Count. Out. The. Buccos. pic.twitter.com/M5xC5jmU4E
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 24, 2023

Pittsburgh also accomplished a first this season. Before Saturday's contest, Major League teams were 0-205 when down by nine or more runs.

The loss is a heavy blow to the Reds' playoff hopes, as they have now dropped five of their last six games, falling to 79-77. The Reds have a tall task to reach the postseason, now 2.5 games back of the final wild-card spot in the NL. Furthermore, Cincinnati has only six games remaining to leap over two teams, the Miami Marlins (80-75) and Chicago Cubs (81-74), which occupy the last playoff berth.

After the loss, Reds manager David Bell tried to move past the sour taste while applauding his players' effort this year, which he added would "continue until the last pitch of the season."

"We all saw the game - you can pick a ton of things apart," Bell said via Bally Sports Cincinnati. "For me, I'm not going to waste my energy on that."

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