Pirates shut out Cincinnati again

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Joe Beimel let the pitch go and thought “uh-oh.”

The second the slider that didn’t really slide left his hand with the bases loaded Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates reliever waited for Cincinnati’s Jay Bruce to find a way to come through.

Only Bruce didn’t. The slugger flailed miserably while striking out in the seventh inning as Pittsburgh’s bullpen preserved a 1-0 victory that kept the Pirates alone in first in the NL Central.

“If I would have made the pitch I wanted he would have fouled it off or blooped it over somebody’s head or something,” Beimel said. “It just worked out where it was so bad he couldn’t do anything with it.”

Bruce wasn’t alone Tuesday night. The Reds were held scoreless for the second straight night as Pittsburgh posted consecutive shutouts for the first time since April 2009.

James McDonald, Beimel, Chris Resop and Joel Hanrahan combined on a six-hitter for the Pirates, who made sure their stunning rise to the top of the standings wasn’t a one-day cameo.

McDonald (6-4) won for the first time in five starts, allowing four hits, striking out seven and walking three in 61/3 efficient innings before letting the relievers go to work.