The Pittsburgh Pirates suffered an 8-7 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, marking their fourth consecutive defeat and worsening their record to 5-9 since the All-Star break. A critical error by players Nick Gonzales and Brandon Lowe in the eighth inning and a struggling bullpen contributed to the loss, while starting pitcher Paul Skenes had a poor outing, raising his ERA to 3.90. Skenes has been underperforming lately, with a 5.87 ERA over his last 14 starts, and the team has struggled when he pitches, going 3-11 in those games. His declining velocity and control have raised concerns as the Pirates risk falling out of the wild-card race.
