Patient Bucs offense fuels doubleheader sweep

CINCINNATI — From start to finish, Saturday was about patience for the Pirates. Preparing for a doubleheader against the Reds, a 12-hour day at the ballpark, they first had to wait through an hour-long rain delay before Game 1. Then the Bucs forced the Reds to throw nearly 400 pitches, drawing 19 walks in 18 innings. After cruising to a victory in Game 1, Pittsburgh capped a highly productive day at the plate with a 7-3 win in Game 2 on Saturday night at Great American Ball Park.

The Pirates saw 393 pitches on the day — 196 in the opener, a 10-4 win, and 197 in the nightcap — as they swept the Reds in a doubleheader for the first time since August 2007. They piled on 22 hits, 11 in each game, and outscored the Reds, 17-7. Sean Rodriguez led the charge, homering in both games, but contributions came from all over the lineup.

“[Hitting coach Jeff Branson is] always preaching to us to be stubborn in our approach, whatever that may be,” Rodriguez said. “Just being stubborn, sticking to it and following through no matter the situation. Just committing to it and selling out to it the whole at-bat.”

With the doubleheader sweep, the Pirates moved within five games of the Mets for the National League’s second Wild Card. Pittsburgh’s postseason hopes have nearly evaporated with 14 games remaining, but they are still mathematically alive after stringing together four straight wins.

The Bucs sent nine men to the plate twice in one day, in the four-run first inning of Game 1 and again in the four-run second inning of Game 2. After going deep to center in the opener, Rodriguez crushed a solo shot, his fourth of the week, a Statcast-projected 428 feet into the second deck in left field. Andrew McCutchen drove in five runs on the day, Josh Bell pounded five hits, and their rookie starters — Jameson Taillon and Trevor Williams — each picked up their first Major League RBI. Showcasing the Pirates’ patience, Williams plated a run in his first big league start by drawing a bases-loaded walk against Brandon Finnegan.

Williams ran out of gas after four-plus innings in his first Major League start, surrendering back-to-back homers to Scott Schebler and Ramon Cabrera in the fifth inning, then put the game in the Pirates bullpen’s hands. Juan Nicasio answered the call by pitching two innings, and setup man Felipe Rivero recorded five key outs.

“Very aggressive outing for Nicasio and Rivero,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “I actually told them to go to Sandals in the Bahamas and meet us Tuesday in Milwaukee.”

The relief work was enough to support an offense that has now scored 41 runs over its last four games after putting up 49 in its previous 15 contests.

“Team effort all over the place for 18 innings,” Hurdle said.

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDWalk on: Williams had an eventful night on the mound, watching a potential gem quickly get away from him, and at the plate. The rookie starter breezed through the minimum 12 batters …

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