Phillies 4, Reds 1: Nick Pivetta dazzles, Jay Bruce does Jay Bruce things

Nick Pivetta continued his stellar work since returning from the minors in leading the Phillies to a 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds at sold-out Citizens Bank Park on Saturday.

Pivetta pitched the first complete game of his career. He scattered six hits, four of which were singles, walked none and struck out six. He threw 105 pitches.

He has allowed just four runs in 20 innings over three starts since returning from Triple A. He has walked just two batters over the span.

Jay Bruce continued his sizzling Phillies debut with a two-run single. He has 11 RBIs in his first five games with the Phils.

The Phillies have bounced back from a five-game losing streak, their longest of the season, with four straight wins. They are 22-11 at home. They are 36-17 all-time against the Reds in Citizens Bank Park.

The keys

• Pivetta was brilliant.

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• Bruce did it again. His two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the first inning gave the Phils a lead they never relinquished.

• The Phils had just six hits, but two of them were big extra-base hits, a solo homer from J.T. Realmuto and an RBI triple from Jean Segura.

• Did we mention that Pivetta was brilliant?

Pivetta’s day

He allowed hits to the first two batters of the game then retired 17 straight Reds hitters until Joey Votto’s single in the seventh.

Pivetta had an excellent mix of pitches. He got seven swings-and-misses on his curveball, three on his slider and five on his fastball. The fastball averaged 94 mph and topped out at 96 mph.

Over his last two starts, he has 15 strikeouts and no walks — and his curveball has been outstanding.

Another injury

The Phillies placed outfielder Adam Haseley on the injured list with a groin strain. Check out how many Phillies are on the IL.

Up next

The series concludes Sunday afternoon. Aaron Nola (6-1, 4.63) pitches against right-hander Sonny Gray (2-5, 3.54).

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