Pirates vs Reds: Pittsburgh eye consecutive wins after ending skid

Fresh off snapping a five-game losing streak, the Pittsburgh Pirates will aim to build momentum when they host the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday afternoon, looking for back-to-back wins after Friday’s dominant 9-1 victory.

The Reds will send right-hander Rhett Lowder (3-1, 3.18 ERA) to the mound, continuing his strong start to the season after overcoming injuries last year.

The 24-year-old has quickly become a key part of Cincinnati’s rotation amid a wave of pitching setbacks, and he’s coming off a solid outing against Detroit in which he struck out a season-high seven.

The Reds, however, have been surprisingly strong on the road this season, winning 10 of their first 14 away games, while TJ Friedl remains in form after collecting two hits in Friday’s loss.

Pittsburgh will counter with Carmen Mlodzinski (1-2, 4.13 ERA), who has shown flashes of promise this season but has struggled in recent outings after a strong start to April.

The Pirates’ offense has been sparked by Bryan Reynolds, who homered again Friday and continues to punish Cincinnati pitching, while Henry Davis powered the lineup with a multi-homer performance in the series opener.

Pittsburgh will also look to address a key trend, having struggled when opponents score first, a problem they’ll want to avoid against a confident Reds side.