The Reds exploded for 14 runs, stamping a decisive road win at Pittsburgh as Elly De La Cruz kicked things off with an RBI single and Miguel Andujar followed with a three‑run homer. Cincinnati never let up, with Noelvi Marte and Spencer Steer padding the cushion and Steer delivering a two‑run double before later adding a two‑run homer for insurance. Pittsburgh battled back briefly, tying the game on timely hits and a Kasper-like run, but the Reds pulled away late with a multi‑run eighth. The slugfest underscored Cincinnati’s breakout push and highlighted several players fantasy managers will want to chase down the stretch.

Key contributors for Cincinnati: De La Cruz, Andujar, Marte, and Steer supplied the offense in waves, while Yohan Ramírez yielded early damage before the bullpen steadied. For Pittsburgh, Jack Suwinski and Bryan Reynolds contributed, Isiah Kiner-Falefa lined a two‑run double and Spencer Horwitz added a run‑scoring single, but the late surge by Cincinnati overwhelmed the Pirates. The final 14‑8 tilt leaves Cincinnati at 62‑57 and Pittsburgh at 51‑68, with the Reds asserting themselves as legitimate playoff hopefuls in this intraleague showdown.

Fantasy takeaway: buy into Reds bats now—De La Cruz, Marte, Andujar, and Steer have multi‑hitter upside, while the depth of Cincinnati’s lineup supports weekly streaming. For Pittsburgh, streaming opportunities are slimmer but situational plays like Suwinski and Reynolds can still help in deeper formats, especially when they face righty‑heavy matches. Target the Reds’ ongoing power surge and monitor bullpen usage as Cincinnati looks to push this run production trend forward.

The Cincinnati Reds outslugged the Pittsburgh Pirates 14-8 to take a 2-2 split in the four-game set. Miguel Andújar delivered his first Reds homer, a three-run shot that sparked a four-run second inning, and he helped spark a decisive rally in the sixth. Spencer Steer and Noelvi Marte each collected three hits and four RBIs, with Steer delivering a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth and a two-run homer in the eighth, while Marte added a tiebreaking double in the sixth and belted a three-run homer in the ninth. Elly De La Cruz and Andújar started the sixth with back-to-back singles to breathe life into Cincinnati. Pittsburgh mounted a late charge, cutting the deficit to 9-8 in the eighth, but Graham Ashcraft struck out Jared Triolo with a runner aboard to quell the threat. The Reds piled on with a five-run ninth as Marte launched a three-run homer. The game featured 30 total hits, with Isiah Kiner-Falefa leading Pittsburgh with three hits and two RBIs. Reds pitcher Zach Littell gave up four runs in 1 1/3 innings, while Cincinnati starter Zach Littell and Scott Barlow (6-0) were part of a rocky early stretch for the Reds' bullpen. Cincinnati stretched its streak of not being swept in 40 straight series dating back to last season, and now heads into a three-game home set with Philadelphia behind Andrew Abbott in a marquee pitching matchup against Taijuan Walker.