PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds issued a Major League Baseball record-tying seven straight walks during the second inning of to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.
It was the third time in major league history that a team had walked that many batters consecutively — and the first time in more than four decades, according to the Elias Sports Bureau and Sportradar.
Pittsburgh also was at bat when Atlanta walked seven straight in the third inning on May 25, 1983. The only other time it happened was on Aug. 28, 1909, when the Chicago White Sox issued seven straight bases on balls to the Washington Senators.
The string of free passes resulted in the Pirates scoring five runs in the inning without a hit. Starter Rhett Lowder issued the first three walks before he was pulled.
“No excuses for that,” Lowder said, according to MLB.com. “I just didn’t really have anything today. I was trying and just couldn’t get back in the zone.”
Lowder walked Brandon Lowe with one out and the bases empty. After he walked Bryan Reynolds and Ryan O’Hearn, the Reds replaced him with Connor Phillips, who also could not find the strike zone.
Phillips walked Nick Gonzales, Marcell Ozuna, Horwitz and Konnor Griffin to force in four runs, exiting after throwing five of his 21 pitches for strikes.
“Just getting on base any way possible,” O’Hearn said in a televised postgame interview. “Walks, hits, whatever it takes. Our guys know what they’re doing up there. So, proud of the offense.”
Sam Moll came in and induced Henry Davis’ RBI fielder’s-choice grounder, then retired Oneil Cruz on a tapper fielded by catcher Tyler Stephenson.
Lowder, who took the loss, allowed eight runs in 1 1/3 innings to raise his ERA from 3.18 to 5.09. Entering Saturday, he had not pitched fewer than five innings or given up more than four earned runs in six starts this season.
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