In an unfortunate turn of events, the Reds etched an unwanted moment in their history during Saturday’s second inning. Pitcher Rhett Lowder, alongside reliever Connor Phillips, issued an astonishing series of seven consecutive walks to the Pirates, all with just one out. This included four walks with the bases loaded, allowing Pittsburgh to score four runs without making any contact with the ball. The Pirates ultimately triumphed with a decisive 17-7 victory.
“It was quite remarkable,” Pirates manager Don Kelly shared with MLB.com. “This is something we can build upon as the season progresses. Our most successful offensive stretches and significant innings often come from being patient at the plate, targeting the middle, and maintaining trust in the lineup.”
The inning began on a seemingly routine note with Lowder striking out Oneil Cruz on a 3-2 pitch. However, the situation quickly spiraled into chaos: walk, walk, pitching change, walk, walk, walk, walk, another pitching change. The streak of walks was finally broken when Henry Davis grounded out to third on a 2-0 count—a rare sight after seven straight walks and a moment that might warrant a light-hearted fine in a Kangaroo Court.
Here is the sequence of the seven consecutive walks:
“There’s no excuse for that,” Lowder admitted to MLB.com following the game. “It was rough, but we’ll bounce back and improve.”
“Honestly, I didn’t give myself enough time to settle in,” Phillips reflected in an interview with MLB.com. “I should have approached my bullpen session differently, and I regret not taking the time to slow things down. It’s a lesson learned for future games.”
Lowder and Phillips combined to throw 42 pitches and only 11 strikes. Three of the seven walks were noncompetitive four-pitch walks too. Here’s what a seven-walk inning looks like:
MLB.com
Seven straight walks ties the MLB record. It had been done twice previously. The White Sox walked seven straight Washington Senators in the second inning on Aug. 28, 1909, and the Braves walked seven straight Pirates in the third inning on May 25, 1983. It’s happened only three times ever, and twice was to the Pirates. Go figure
Reds’ pitchers entered play Saturday having walked 11.6% of the batters they’ve faced, the fifth-highest rate in baseball. Pirates’ hitters had drawn a walk in 9.9% of their plate appearances, which is exactly the MLB average. The Pirates deserve some credit, of course, but sheesh. What a terrible stretch of pitching for Cincinnati.
The Reds are 20-13 and in second place in the NL Central despite a minus-21 run differential. The Pirates are 18-16 and in last place in the division. The NL Central is the only division with three winning teams, let alone five.
