The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Cincinnati Reds 2-0 Sunday afternoon completing a four-game series sweep. Starting pitcher Vince Velasquez pitched seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out 10. David Bednar earned his eighth save. Ke’Bryan Hayes and Jack Suwinski each had key doubles for the Bucs.
Last season, it took the Pirates until May 18th to win their 16th game of the season. They have had 13 consecutive quality starts from their starting rotation. Velasquez has three straight quality starts.
The Pirates have now won seven games in a row, and are in first place in the National League Central Division. They are off to their best start since 1992, the last time the Bucs won a division title.
The Pirates are off today and begin a three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday. The Pirates have the best record in the National League, and second-best record in baseball behind the Tampa Bay Rays.
Over the weekend, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington announced the team had agreed to a contract extension with manager Derek Shelton.
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