At the dawn of Opening Day, not many would have predicted that the Reds would open the season with a sweep, nor that the Pirates would start out winless. Well, that’s exactly what happened as Cincinnati completed a three-game series sweep on Thursday with a 3-2 victory on an error by right fielder Gregory Polanco for a walk-off ending.
It was a 2-2 game when Todd Frazier led off the bottom of the ninth with a double scorched to the wall in left field against reliever Rob Scahill. A groundout to shortstop by Devin Mesoraco advanced Frazier to third base before Jay Bruce was intentionally walked. That set up Marlon Byrd, who hit a liner to right field off of Polanco’s glove that scored Frazier without a throw to the plate.
“I tried to backhand the ball. It curved more than I expected,” Polanco said. “Then I slipped, and couldn’t keep it in front of me. “If I slide, I make the catch easy. But I wanted to stay up, so I can make the throw home.”
Reds closer Aroldis Chapman pitched a 1-2-3 top of the ninth inning with two strikeouts to get the victory.
“The Pirates are definitely one of our toughest competitors, especially in our division here,” Mesoraco said. “We had so many division games here early that we know we have to get off to a good start. [To be] 3-0, I’m very happy with where we’re at.”
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