Final: Pirates 8, Red Sox 2

With an opportunity to sweep the Pirates, the Red Sox came up empty Thursday, thumped by the Pirates, 8-2, snapping Boston's three-game winning streak.

Bryan Reynolds hit two two-run homers off starter Josh Winckowski and Ben Gamel added a two-run double.

The Sox were blanked until the eighth when they scratched out two off the Pittsburgh bullpen. The Sox had just five hits on the night.

WHO: Red Sox (59-59) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (45-72)
WHEN: 7:05 p.m.
WHERE: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
SERIES TO DATE: BOS 2-0
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Josh Winckowski (5-5, 4.69)  vs. RHP J.T. Brubaker (2-10, 4.45)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM

LINEUPS

RED SOX

Pham LF
Devers 3B
Bogaerts SS
Verdugo RF
Martinez DH
Arroyo 2B
McGuire C
Dalbec 1B
Duran CF

PIRATES

Marcano LF
Newman 2B
Reynolds CF
Gamel DH
Castro 3B
Cruz SS
Allen LF
Madris RF
Heineman C

WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox have won each of their last 3 games and 5 of their last 6...They are 10-9 in their last 19 games, after going 5-15 in their previous 20. The Sox have clinched their 3rd consecutive series victory (also 1-0 vs. BAL, 2-1 vs. NYY)...It is their longest such streak since winning 7 straight from 6/3-26. With a win tonight, the Sox would complete their 6th sweep of the season, 3rd on the road (also 6/24-26 at CLE and 6/3-5 at OAK). ....The Sox secured the series victory with an 8-3 win last night at PIT...Their 8 runs scored were their most since 7/10 vs. NYY (11). The Sox drew 7 walks last night, tying their 2nd most in any game this season (11, 6/26 at CLE). ....The Red Sox have gone 9-for-24 (.375 AVG) with RISP over the first 2 games of the current series at PIT, including 6-for-18 last night...The Sox are 16-0 this season in games when they record 5+ hits with RISP. The Red Sox lead MLB in AVG and lead the AL in OPS with RISP since 7/28, batting .311 with an .835 OPS in 19 games over the span (46-for-148, 13 2B, 4 HR, 5 SF). ... Over their last 4 games, the Sox have outscored opponents 11-2 in the first 4 innings, with pitchers holding the opposition to 4-for-51 in those innings (.078 AVG). The Red Sox have scored during the 1st inning in 3 of their last 5 wins. ...The Red Sox have come from behind in 6 of their last 10 wins and in 9 of their last 14. The Red Sox have won 7 of their last 8 extra-inning games, after losing each of their first 6 this season... Overall, their 7-7 (.500) record in extra innings is tied for the 5th-best record in the AL....The current series between the Red Sox and Pirates is the 1st time the clubs have met since April 2017, when they played a 3-game series at Fenway Park...The Sox are visiting PNC Park for the 1st time since a 3-game series in September 2014. Since Interleague play began in 1997, the Red Sox are 10-7 against the Pirates...The Sox are 5-1 vs. PIT at Fenway Park and 5-6 at PNC Park. The Boston Americans, who became the Red Sox in 1908, played the Pittsburg Pirates in the 1903 World Series, the 1st World Series ever held...Boston won the 9-game series, 5-3. ...Tonight concludes the Sox’ 1st series of their 6-game road trip at PIT (2-0) and BAL (3 games). The Sox will play the Orioles in the MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport, PA, at 7:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, 8/21...The game will be broadcast on ESPN. ....The Sox are 6 games into the season-ending stretch during which 35 of their final 50 games of the season are against AL East opponents: BAL (11), NYY (9), TB (9), and TOR (6)...The Sox are 5-1 so far. The Sox are 2-11-1 in series against AL East teams but 14-4-4 in series against all other teams. ....The Sox are currently 4.0 games out of the 3rd and final AL Wild Card position. 34 of the Red Sox 44 remaining games are against teams ahead of them in the AL East or Wild Card standings...In addition to 31 against AL East teams, the Sox also play 3 games at MIN from 8/29-31. They began the season 10-19 through their first 29 games...They could become the 1st team to lose as many as 19 of their first 29 games and still make the Postseason since the 1989 Blue Jays (10-19). ...The Red Sox have allowed 3 runs or fewer in a season-high-tying 6 consecutive games (also 5/31-6/6). The last time the Sox allowed 3 runs or fewer in as many as 7 consecutive games was in April 2018 (9 games). Red Sox pitchers are 5-1 with a 2.29 ERA and 0.90 WHIP over their last 6 games (55.0 IP, 14 ER, 35 BB, 15 BB). .....Sox starting pitchers have allowed 3 runs or fewer over 5.0+ innings in each of the club’s last 7 games. It is their longest streak since Sox starters allowed 3 runs or fewer over 5.0+ IP in 7 straight games from 6/19-26. ....Sox relievers have allowed only 5 runs in 18.1 IP over the club’s last 6 games (2.45 ERA)...In that time, Sox relievers have allowed just 13 hits and 3 walks while striking out 25 batters. Garrett Whitlock is 1-1 with 3 saves, a 1.53 ERA, and an 0.57 WHIP in 10 outings since being reinstated from the Injured List on 7/15 (17.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 18 SO). John Schreiber ranks 5th in the AL and 12th in MLB with a 1.89 ERA (10 ER/47.2 IP; min. 45.0 IP). ....The Red Sox lead the majors this month with a .995 fielding percentage (3 errors, 549 chances). The Sox rank 2nd in the AL with 104 double plays this season (KC-108). ....The Sox are 1 of 2 teams in MLB who feature multiple qualified players batting at least .300 with an .800 OPS: Xander Bogaerts (.302 AVG, .813 OPS) and Rafael Devers (.302 AVG, .932 OPS)...The only other team is the Dodgers (Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner). The Sox feature 5 players with 40+ RBI and 40+ runs, tied for 3rd most in the AL (TOR-8, NYY-6, TEX-5, HOU-5). 4 Red Sox hitters rank among the AL’s top 6 in doubles (see table to the right). 

NOTES:

* LHP James Paxton made his first rehab start Thursday morning in Fort Myers for the Red Sox Florida Coast League affiliate. Paxton lasted just two batters before he was forced to leave with a lat strain. He's due to be examined Friday, at which point the Red Sox will know more about his availability going forward.

* LHP Matt Strahm is with the team in Pittsburgh, but won't be activated until Friday in Baltimore.

* RHP Tyler Danish's rehab has been slowed as he's tested positive for COVID.

* INF Yolmer Sanchez, who was designated for assignment by the Red Sox earlier this week, was claimed on waivers by the New York Mets.

* RHP Brayan Bello will make a rehab start for Worcester Friday.