Bryan Reynolds gave the Pirates their only jolt at the plate Thursday, driving a solo home run to center the offense in a 7-2 loss to the Cubs. He finished 2-for-3 and kept his bat hot even as Pittsburgh came up well short.
Reynolds took Cubs starter Colin Rea deep to lead off the sixth inning, and the blast got the Pirates on the scoreboard. It was his fifth home run of the season and his first since May 1 against the Reds, ending a stretch in which he had gone without a long ball for nearly a month.
The home run also extended Reynolds’ hitting streak to six games. Over that span, he had gone 11-for-21, a strong run that lifted his season line to.272 with five home runs and 35 RBI in 57 games.
The contrast was plain: Reynolds is producing consistently, but the Pirates are still waiting for that production to turn into wins. His swing gave them a moment Thursday, not a result, and the next test is whether he can carry the streak into the club’s next game.
