Pittsburgh Pirates vs Cincinnati Reds Picks and Prediction for Sunday August 2 2026

On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Pirates (55–56) head to Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati to take on the Cincinnati Reds (52–57). The Reds will be trying to keep the good vibes going after Friday night’s chaotic, back-and-forth win over Pittsburgh, while the Pirates look to regroup. Get involved in the action with our free MLB picks.

Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati Game Information

• August 2, 2026
• 1:40 PM EST
• Great American Ball Park
• MLB.TV/Reds.TV/Fubo

Cincinnati Form & Recent Results

Cincinnati heads into this matchup playing some of its better baseball lately, riding a two-game winning streak and taking three of its last five games overall going into Saturday. What’s helped is that they’ve been able to handle business at home, with two of those wins coming against the Pirates and another against the Guardians. Their most recent win was a tight 8–7 victory over Pittsburgh on Friday, a game where the Reds’ lineup did plenty of damage but also had to survive some late pressure. The offense finished with 12 hits, launched two homers, and piled up 22 total bases, showing they could string together rallies as well as win with power. At the same time, the pitching staff gave up 12 hits and issued three walks, so it wasn’t exactly a clean game from start to finish, more of a “score enough to hang on” type of win.

A big reason Cincinnati has been able to stay dangerous is the production near the top and middle of the order. First baseman Sal Stewart was the standout on Friday, going 2-for-5 with a single and a home run while driving in four runs and scoring twice. On the mound, Hunter Greene went six innings, allowing seven hits and four earned runs, with two walks and four strikeouts, good enough to keep them in position to win, even if it wasn’t his sharpest outing. Over the full season, Stewart has been the Reds’ top power threat with 23 home runs, and JJ Bleday isn’t far behind with 19. Stewart also leads Cincinnati in RBIs with 84, which puts him at the top of the MLB leaderboard in that category as well. For pure hitting consistency, Elly De La Cruz has been their batting-average leader at .279. Recently, the Reds have averaged 3.8 runs per game over their last five, and they’ll try to keep that momentum rolling with another home matchup against the Pirates on Sunday afternoon.

Pittsburgh Form & Recent Results

Pittsburgh comes into this matchup in a tough stretch, riding a four-game losing streak and having dropped four of their last five overall heading into Saturday. A big part of that skid has come against two specific opponents as they were beaten twice by the Reds in Cincinnati and then lost two more at home against the Diamondbacks. The most recent setback was Friday’s 8–7 loss on the road in Cincinnati, a game where the Pirates showed plenty of fight at the plate but still couldn’t quite close it out.

Even in that defeat, there were some clear positives for Pittsburgh’s offense. Center fielder Jake Mangum had a strong night, going 2-for-4 with a walk, including a single and a home run, while also scoring once and driving in two runs. As a team, the Pirates piled up 12 hits, so they were able to create opportunities throughout the game. On the pitching side, they recorded 12 strikeouts and threw 115 strikes, but they still ended up allowing enough damage to fall short in a close one. Looking at the season as a whole, second baseman Brandon Lowe has been their main power threat with 23 home runs, while right fielder Ryan O’Hearn sits next with 17. Lowe also leads the club in run production with 71 RBI, and third baseman Nick Gonzales has been their most consistent hitter by average, sitting at .318. Recently, though, run prevention has been an issue. In their last five games, Pittsburgh has given up an average of 4.8 runs, so the goal on Sunday in Cincinnati is simple, which is to tighten things up, finish stronger, and finally get back in the win column.

Key Stats

• Pittsburgh’s Brandon Lowe this season: 23 HRs, 71 RBI, .257 AVG
• Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart this season: 23 HRs, 84 RBI, .255 AVG

Betting Odds & Market Overview:

• CIN -150 / PIT +124; O/U 8.5

Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati Picks and Prediction

Behind a huge night from Sal Stewart at the plate, the Reds edged the Pirates 8–7 on Friday and now head into Sunday’s series finale looking to build on that momentum and come away with another win. Cincinnati is set to hand the ball to Chase Burns, who’s been lights-out this year with a 12–1 record and a 2.40 ERA. Pittsburgh will counter with Mitch Keller, who’s 6–7 with a 4.83 ERA as the Pirates try to salvage the series. Final Score Prediction, Cincinnati Reds win 1-0.