CINCINNATI — Sunday appeared to shape up well for the Pirates. With the chance to complete a four-game sweep against a Cincinnati Reds pitching staff having major trouble recording outs, the Pirates sent their best starter, Ivan Nova, to the mound. A victory would move them back above .500.
Instead, Nova had his worst start as a Pirate during a 7-4 loss at Great American Ball Park.
The Pirates are off Monday before concluding their three-city, 11-game divisional road trip against the Brewers in Milwaukee. They went 5-3 in the first two stops.
Nova allowed three times as many hits (nine) as innings completed (three). Only three of the five runs he allowed were earned, thanks to a Josh Bell error in the second, but the Reds earned their base hits. They squared up most of the nine, which included three doubles, as Nova struggled to disrupt their timing or keep the ball down and on the corners.
“When the ball moves east and west and doesn’t sink, and there’s no sharp bite to the curveball and there’s not the finish that we’ve seen from the fastball, that’s problematic, and that eliminates the option to disrupt hitter’s timing,” manager Clint Hurdle said.
Tucker Barnhart drove a two-run double to the wall in the second inning. Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips doubled and scored in the three-run third.
“I’m human,” Nova said. “This is one of those days where you feel like you have it, but you don’t. You just keep fighting through and hope to give your team a chance to win a game. Unfortunately I didn’t do it [Sunday].”
In eight starts since joining the Pirates prior to Sunday, Nova had a 2.41 ERA, with 46 hits allowed in 52 1/3 innings. Much like J.A. Happ last year, the free-agent-to-be amplified his market value with his final two months of play.
“If it were up to us, he’d be back here,” Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. “I’m sure if it were up to him, he’d have a massive contract. Now, we’ve got to find somewhere in the middle ground and does it make sense? We’ve got to find financial middle ground. I won’t talk about whether we’re engaged or not at this time.”
Tyler Glasnow made his second consecutive scoreless relief appearance Sunday. He pitched three innings, walked two and struck out four, and threw a first-pitch strike to each of the 13 batters he faced. “That never doesn’t catch anybody’s eye, “ Hurdle said.
“It’s the part of it that simplifies the thought process,” Huntington said. “You get up, you go in and you gotta go compete. There’s no four days of waiting, four days of angst, four days of anxiousness. Tyler’s learning some very valuable lessons right now.”
Glasnow walked a batter in the fourth and fifth innings but kept them to first base. He allowed consecutive singles to Votto, who went 4 for 4 with a homer and a double, and Adam Duvall in the sixth. Then he balked both men into scoring position, but attacked Phillips with curveballs to induce an inning-ending groundout.
“Very pleased with Glasnow’s effort today,” Hurdle said. “Gave us three strong innings in the middle of the game when we needed them. Another good step and growth.”
Pedro Florimon, who received a rare start Sunday, hit a two-run triple in the second inning. Sean Rodriguez homered for the fifth time in seven games, and for the third game in a row, in the sixth.
Bill Brink: bbrink@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrinkPG.
First Published: September 18, 2016, 8:04 p.m.