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Cincinnati Reds pitchers tied a major-league record with seven consecutive walks in the second inning of Saturday\u2019s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, as the Reds\u2019 control of the National League Central may have vanished like starter Rhett Lowder\u2019s and reliever Connor Phillips\u2019 grip of the strike zone.<\/p>\n
The Pirates sent nine batters to the plate in the five-run first. Lowder, who entered the game with a 3-1 record and 3.18 ERA, allowed five hits and walked one in that inning. Trailing 5-3 entering the bottom of the second, Lowder struck out leadoff man Oneil Cruz before walking the next three batters: Brandon Lowe, Bryan Reynolds and Ryan O\u2019Hearn. Phillips replaced Lowder and walked all four batters he faced, each with the bases loaded.<\/p>\n
According to Elias Sports Bureau, it was just the third time that a team walked at least seven consecutive batters within a single inning and the first since May 25, 1983, when Pirates pitchers walked seven Atlanta Braves batters in a row in the bottom of the third inning.<\/p>\n
Phillips was removed after the fourth walk in favor of left-hander Sam Moll. Moll induced a run-scoring groundout by Pittsburgh catcher Henry Davis for the second out of the inning to break the walk streak. Cruz followed with a groundout to end the inning.<\/p>\n
The Pirates\u2019 five-run second was the first time since April 27, 1994, that a team allowed at least five runs without allowing a hit, when the Seattle Mariners allowed five runs without a hit to the New York Yankees.<\/p>\n
Moll walked the first batter he faced in the third but didn\u2019t allow a run, despite giving up a pair of hits in the frame.<\/p>\n
Cincinnati entered the weekend series in Pittsburgh atop the National League Central before dropping the first game of the series 9-1, with starter Brady Singer lasting just 3 1\/3 innings in the loss.<\/p>\n
The Reds started the season 20-11 and entered the series in first place in the NL Central, even without Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo, their top two starters. The Reds\u2019 starting pitching depth was already stretched thin because of those injuries before Wednesday, when lefty Brandon Williamson exited the game with a shoulder injury after two innings.<\/p>\n
\nThe Reds have tied a Major League record with seven consecutive walks!<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udcfa: FS1 pic.twitter.com\/KCqSVsBJ2Z<\/a><\/p>\n