Top of Pirates' lineup delivers early in support of strong pitching

After the Reds struck for a run against Paul Skenes in the top of the first inning Monday night, it didn't take long for the Pirates' bats to formulate a response. The top of the order helped spark a four-run output in the opening two innings and it ultimately held up in a 4-1 victory at PNC Park. 

"It was nice to answer right back," Derek Shelton said. "We got the two quick first outs and then they got the hit and the double, so to answer back really quick was important."

Andrew McCutchen and Bryan Reynolds set the tone in the 1-2 spots, as McCutchen led off the game with a four-pitch walk and Reynolds followed by extending his hitting streak -- the longest active streak in Major League Baseball -- to 15 games with a ground-rule double: 

One batter later, Oneil Cruz capitalized on an opportunity with runners on second and third, belting a high 1-2 pitch past Elly De La Cruz at shortstop for a two-run single that put the Pirates in front at 2-1: 

Rowdy Tellez later added a double -- one of two on the night -- to put runners on second and third before Ke'Bryan Hayes added a bit of cushion with an RBI groundout that pushed the lead to 3-1. McCutchen got things started again in the second with a two-out double that was followed by another double by Reynolds to cap the scoring and provide plenty of support for Skenes and the back end of the Pirates' bullpen, which nailed things down with three scoreless innings. 

"Everybody’s putting together good at-bats, so I think if we keep this rolling, we’re going to play some good baseball," Tellez said. "I think, top to bottom, when you put together good at-bats and you’re doing productive things all the way around from defense to offense, it makes the game easier for guys.”