Pirates complete sweep of Reds with another rout

Cincinnati swept for first time since early May

Credit: David Jablonski - Staff Writer

Credit: David Jablonski - Staff Writer

Trucks from WWE Smackdown lined the streets outside Great American Ball Park on Sunday. The wrestlers will put on a show Monday night at U.S. Bank Arena.

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A smackdown of a different sort took place all weekend on the diamond. A Cincinnati Reds team with hopes of escaping last place and overtaking the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Central Division were instead dominated in every phase of the game, losing the first three games after the all-star break by a combined score of 27-5.

The Pirates, who have won nine games in a row, capped a three-game sweep with a 9-2 victory Sunday. The Reds (43-56) were swept since the first time since early May. They were swept five times in the first 10 series and had not been swept in the last 21 series.

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Reds starter Matt Harvey allowed eight earned runs in 3 2/3 innings. Jackson Stephens followed with 3 1/3 innings of relief. He allowed one run on seven hits.

The Reds trailed 9-0 until Phillip Ervin drove in Jesse Winker and Adam Duvall with a single in the seventh.

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