PITTSBURGH -- The Cincinnati Reds play the Pirates in Pittsburgh on Friday night in the start of a weekend series between clubs in contention for a wildcard playoff spot, but the clubs' stories lately have not been all that similar.
The Reds have won all six of their series since the All-Star break, each time by taking two of three games. It is their first streak of six straight series wins since 1999.
Including a series win against Chicago followed by getting swept by the Marlins just before the All-Star game, Cincinnati has won seven of its past eight series.
"It's been a good run really since Chicago before the break, with that little hiccup in Miami," Reds manager Bryan Price said, according to mlb.com. "Since then, it's been winning series and playing good ball, playing better defense, pitchers throwing strikes, a little bit deeper with some of our starts, which really helps the bullpen, and getting healthier. A lot of good things are happening."
The Reds beat St. Louis 7-0 Thursday to take that series -- you guessed it -- 2-1. It was their fourth shutout this season, second in their past six games and third in their past 16 games.
The Pirates, meanwhile, are 2-3-1 in series since the break, including getting swept in Milwaukee and dropping two of three to Atlanta, the worst team in the league, this week.
They are trying to find the right combinations and parts, something that has been ongoing all season. Pittsburgh this week not only made a few moves at the trade deadline -- right-hander Ivan Nova will start Saturday in his Pirates debut -- but manager Clint Hurdle also made a noteworthy move seemingly born of frustration and desperation.
Hurdle benched center fielder and former National League MVP Andrew McCutchen for the full three games of the series at Atlanta that ended Thursday night with a 5-2 loss.
The hope was that McCutchen would benefit from taking a step back, not picking up a bat or taking the field for a few days. He is batting a career-low .241, including a current 5-for-27 showing, and has gotten just five of his 43 RBIs since July 15.
"He's tried a lot of things," Hurdle told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "This man's fought. He's done early work, late work, side work, video work. Nothing's worked."
McCutchen, who presumably will be back in the lineup Friday against Cincinnati, wasn't thrilled with the tactic, but he did not want to make waves.
"If I had my choice, I'd be in there," McCutchen told the Tribune-Review. "But I'm all for my team, all for my teammates, so that's the reason I'm not going to mope about it."
McCutchen also was one of the players left reeling by moves Pittsburgh made that were broadly interpreted as being rooted in financial concerns rather than boosting the club's postseason chances this year. Among other things, the Pirates shipped Mark Melancon, one of the sport's top closers, to Washington.
"There is some confusion," McCutchen told the Tribune-Review. "Some things that feel like, 'Why? What was the reasoning behind some of our moves?' That's the biggest thing.
"We understand (management) is not our job. We understand it's not what we do. We play. But there are some things that I'm sure for all of us, kind of blew us away. Where we are (mentally) is just like, 'Dang. Wow. That's crazy.' You know?"
In addition, the Pittsburgh rotation has been in some disarray beyond the trades, partly because of injuries but also because of shaky performances that have led to skipped starts and stretches in the bullpen by starters. One, Jeff Locke, spoke out about a lack of consistency with his role after he spent more than a week in the bullpen.
Friday, rookie right-hander Jameson Taillon (2-2, 3.52 ERA) will make his ninth major league start, first against the Reds. He has had a couple of hiccups that might be expected of a young pitcher, but overall has shown promise when healthy. He has not allowed a walk in his past four appearances and has been charged with seven earned runs in those 24 innings. Pittsburgh has won four his past five starts.
Taillon's counterpart Friday will be Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani (6-0, 2.93 ERA), who has eight quality starts in 10 appearances, including a six-inning, one-run performance Saturday against San Diego.
