TLDR: Paul Skenes was supposed to be the story in Cincinnati. Instead the Reds outlasted him and the Pirates in an 8-7 shootout that had nothing to do with pitching.
+Nothing to lose energy against a buyer division rival
−Sit below .500 at 51-57 on the season
−Francona has openly flagged bullpen as overtaxed
−Lodolo, Williamson and Santillan all on the shelf
Skenes (9-9, 3.90 ERA) took the ball for Pittsburgh looking to build on a strong close to July, while Hunter Greene (2-2, 7.09 ERA) got the assignment for a Reds team just trying to keep its head above .500. Skenes struck out 8 over 7 innings in a series-clinching win over the Guardians on July 19, arguably his best start of the second half. Greene has been all over the map this season — a disastrous 2026 debut against Baltimore, then flashes of the swing-and-miss stuff that made him an All-Star — and Friday was another mixed bag against a Pirates lineup pushing for a Wild Card spot.
Paul Skenes
(9-11)·3.88 ERA
Jul 25 vs Cubs
L
5.1IP
5ER
11K
2BB
105P
07/31 Lineup
Hunter Greene
(2-2)·6.83 ERA
Jul 25 @ Cardinals
L
5.1IP
6ER
3K
2BB
89P
07/31 Lineup
Pittsburgh's lineup isn't at full strength. Oneil Cruz, Spencer Horwitz and catcher Rafael Flores Jr. are all out, and the Pirates are reportedly shopping for bullpen help before Monday's trade deadline instead of selling — a rare spot for this franchise. Cincinnati's problems run deeper than one shaky start from Greene, too. Terry Francona has said flatly his bullpen is stretched thin, and with Nick Lodolo, Brandon Williamson and Tony Santillan all on the injured list, the Reds are patching together a pitching staff on the fly.
None of that mattered much once first pitch rolled around at 6:10 PM ET. Both offenses got going early and neither starter settled in, turning what looked like an ace-vs.-reclamation matchup into a track meet that went the distance.
Pittsburgh actually led for stretches of this one and still walked away with a loss, which about sums up the last week for a team that's dropped 3 of its last 5 heading into the trade deadline. The Reds, on the other hand, needed exactly this kind of ugly, resilient win — they'd split their previous four with Cleveland and are fighting just to stay in the conversation in a crowded NL Central.
Both rosters are stretched thin enough that neither team can afford many more nights like this. Pittsburgh needs Cruz and Horwitz back healthy to make good on its buyer's approach, and Cincinnati needs its rotation reinforcements to actually take the ball before the bullpen breaks down for good. For one night, at least, it was the Reds who found a way.
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