The Enquirer16%
Reds top Pirates behind some of their best young stars 16%
By Pat Brennan37%
8/2/2026, 2:07:01 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 9 faulty reasoning types, including Halo Effect, Negativity Bias, and Recency Bias, with Optimism Bias as the most egregious example at 14.8% saturation with 137 hits. Analysis detected 491 faulty-reasoning hits from 924 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 27.2% and a BS Rank of 16% (21,315 of 25,185 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 84.60% of the article peer group.
Whatever changes are made by the Cincinnati Reds ahead of the trade deadline, the core of the club's future is already in place.
It also led the way in the series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Red roughed up the Pirates in a 10-2 victory Sunday, Aug. 2 at Great American Ball Park, and won three games in the four-game series.
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It's possible that by the 6 p.m. trade deadline Monday, Aug. 3, the Reds will have dealt from their once-promising 2026 roster via trade.
The hope will be some of the return on those trades can supplement another run at postseason contention.
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Chase Burns battled the elements and the Pirates but put up another stellar outing, allowing only one run and two hits in six innings with nine strikeouts.
Burns is 13-1 with a 2.35 ERA.
Key pieces are already on display in Cincinnati.
Most of them are young in their MLB careers, and they continued to deliver against the Pirates just as they had throughout 2026.
National League All-Star and Rookie of the Year contender Sal Stewart homered in the first inning to put Cincinnati up 2-0.
The homer was his 24th of 2026, which tied him for 11th in MLB in home runs.
His 85 RBIs were tied for the MLB lead.
Fellow NL All-Star Chase Burns slogged through rain into the fourth inning and had his outing interrupted for 25 minutes for weather-related issues, which ended up being somewhat controversial.
After the unofficial rain delay, Burns returned to the mound.
He ended up lasting six innings to improve to 13-1 on the year.
His ERA dropped from 2.40 to 2.35 as Burns allowed just two hits, two walks and a hit batter.
"I thought when he went back out...
I thought his stuff was kicked up a notch," Reds manager Terry Francona said.
"He got really into it and that was good to see...
He pitched like an ace."
The only run to score against Burns came during a stressful fourth inning in which rain was pooling on the infield and weather appeared to impact the game for a second consecutive day at Great American Ball Park.
In the middle of the Pirates' rally, the game was stopped so grounds keepers could work to keep the infield playable, which they did as it continued to rain.
Chase Burns wins his 13th game as Reds defeat Pirates
Burns figures to be at or near the top of a rotation that in 2027 (or 2028) should also be staffed by some combination of Andrew Abbott, Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Rhett Lowder and Brandon Williamson.
The Reds' roster might soon add and subtract names, but a core group is very much in place.
"Obviously, the rest of today and tomorrow, things are going to happen, whether it’s people leaving, people coming," Reds closer Emilio Pagán said.
"It feels like the core of this team is probably still going to be the core of this team, right?
And so, this core is what has made baseball fans and people involved in this organization excited about this team."
Photos: Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds
As the Reds core of the future coalesced throughout the season and recent weeks, other players in the clubhouse braced for possible departures as the deadline approached.
After beating the Pirates, the suspense for those most likely to be moved was palpable.
Brady Singer, whose contract is expiring, shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with reporters and others in the clubhouse after the game.
After homering in the eighth inning in what might have been his final at-bat as a Reds player, Tyler Stephenson gave several emotional post-game interviews.
The Cincinnati players preparing to depart and the remaining core group arrived at a fork in the road because the 2026 season went sideways after a promising start.
Since entering play May 1 leading the National League Central at 20-11, the Reds have gone 33-47 since.
Their 10-6 record since the All-Star break was one of the club's best stretches since April.
Beating the Pirates marked their fourth series victory in five tries since the break.
It was also their second series win against an NL Central foe in a week after winning a road series in St.
Louis on July 26.
Still, that wasn't viewed as enough to prevent selling at the deadline.
The Reds will be off on deadline day.
Pagán, who said he wasn't giving up on making a run into contention even after the deadline, said he anticipated the time between post-game on Aug. 2 and returning at the ballpark Tuesday, Aug. 4 to be a period filled with text messages and calls.
"With the starting rotation talent we have and the way we’ve played of recent, there’s nothing saying we can’t go make a run," Pagán said.
"I love the guys in this room.
The guys in this room are a huge part of why I wanted to be back here, and I believe in the talent here.
Hopefully we can continue to play good baseball part tomorrow afternoon.”
Francona said he planned on sleeping in on deadline day.
"I know the (front office) guys are working," Francona said.
"That's not my area, and I don't want it to be."
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