The Pirates lineup hung a 4-2 defeat on the hit-starved Reds on Thursday afternoon in Great American Ball Park.
Rookie right-hander Roansy Contreras (3-2, 3.78) held the Reds to one run and four hits, with a walk and seven strikeouts over six innings.
Reds starter Mike Minor (1-6, 6.63) retired 13 of the first first 14 Pirates with the only base-runner through four innings. The one runner came on a one-out walk to Bryan Reynolds in the fourth.
But rookie Diego Castillo led the fifth with his ninth home run, a drive over the left-center fence on a 1-2 count.
The Reds tied it in the bottom of the inning when Donovan Solano matched Castillo with a leadoff home run over the left-center fence.
Pittsburgh’s Ke’Bryan Hayes poked a one-out single in the sixth, and Minor hit Bryan Reynolds with a pitch. Second-year player Michael Chavis scored both runners with a double up the left-center gap for a 3-1 Pirates lead.
Pittsburgh’s lead expanded to 4-1 in the seventh on Ben Gamel’s one-out bunt base hit and a hit-and-run double by rookie catcher Jason Delay, his first major league hit.
Luis Cessa replaced Minor and retired his first batter. When he went to 3-and-2 on Bryan Reynolds, he suffered an injury and had to leave.
He was replaced by Ian Gibaut, claimed off waivers two days ago from the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was the 52nd different player used by the Reds this season, five shy of the record 57 used in 2003 ... and the game was the Reds’ 81st, exactly halfway through the season.
The Reds pulled within 4-2 in the eighth on Jonathan India’s double to the left field corner and Tommy Pham’s two-out single to center.
Pittsburgh closer David Bednar retired Kyle Farmer, and Mike Moustaksas doubled to the right field corner. That brought up Solano, owner of three hits, representing the tying run.
Solano struck out and Albert Almora Jr. grounded to second as Bednar recorded his 14th save.
While the Pittsburgh lineup was sprinkled with rookies and young players, the Reds had a lineup with batters searching for a hit.
India was 0 for his previous 13 entering the game, while Moustakas was 1 for 16 and Solano was 1 for 20. Solano broke loose with three hits, including his home run. India had two hits, and Moustakas had a hit and a walk.
And at the halfway point, the Reds are 28-54, a season-high 26 games under .500.
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