CINCINNATI (Interstat) — In a late-season matchup defined by a chaotic second inning and a series of critical double plays, the Pittsburgh Pirates played the role of spoiler Tuesday night, defeating the wild-card chasing Cincinnati Reds 4-2 at Great American Ball Park.

The Reds, who entered the game tied with the New York Mets for the National League’s third and final wild-card spot, saw their postseason hopes dented as the last-place Pirates capitalized on a four-run outburst in the second inning and relied on a parade of relievers to silence Cincinnati’s bats over the final seven frames.

Pittsburgh’s offense came to life exclusively in the top of the second against Reds starter Brady Singer (14-11). Jack Suwinski sparked the rally with a double to left field. Nick Yorke followed with an RBI single to center, plating Suwinski for the game’s first run. Alexander Canario then doubled sharply to left, bringing Yorke home to double the lead.

After a strikeout, Oneil Cruz provided the decisive blow, launching a two-run homer, his 20th of the season, to left field to score Canario and give the Pirates a 4-0 advantage.

Cincinnati responded immediately in the home half of the inning against Pirates starter Johan Oviedo. Spencer Steer worked a walk, and Elly De La Cruz answered Cruz’s homer with one of his own, a two-run shot to right field that cut the Pittsburgh lead in half.

From that point forward, the game became a battle of the bullpens and a showcase for the Pirates’ defense. After De La Cruz’s homer, Oviedo settled in, but control issues led to his exit with two outs in the fifth inning. He finished with a solid line, allowing two runs on two hits while striking out seven over 4 2/3 innings.

The Pirates’ relief corps took over from there, with five pitchers combining for 4 1/3 innings of scoreless, three-hit ball. The unit was masterful in escaping jams, largely thanks to the Pittsburgh infield, which turned three crucial double plays to extinguish Cincinnati threats.

The Reds grounded into inning-ending double plays in the seventh and ninth and a rally-killing twin killing in the eighth. The final one, a 5-4-3 grounder off the bat of Matt McLain with Elly De La Cruz on base, sealed the victory for Pittsburgh and handed Dennis Santana his 15th save of the season.

Hunter Barco (1-0) was credited with the win for Pittsburgh after recording the final out in the fifth inning.

While De La Cruz was a bright spot for the Reds, going a perfect 3 for 3 with a home run, two RBIs, and a walk, the rest of the Cincinnati lineup managed just two hits and struggled to generate sustained offense against the Pirates’ pitching staff.

Singer took the loss for Cincinnati, lasting 5 1/3 innings and surrendering all four Pittsburgh runs on seven hits. The Reds’ bullpen, including a strong 1 2/3-inning, three-strikeout outing from Connor Phillips, kept the Pirates off the board for the remainder of the game, but the early damage proved insurmountable.

The loss was a missed opportunity for the Reds, who had won seven of their last 10 games and were coming off a series win against the Chicago Cubs. The Pirates, meanwhile, continued a recent stretch of improved play, having now won three of their last four games.

The announced attendance was 29,847, and the game time was a brisk 2 hours and 33 minutes.

The result improved Pittsburgh’s record to 68-89, while Cincinnati fell to 80-77 with just five games remaining in their regular season. The defeat, coupled with the Mets’ result against the Cubs, added pressure to the Reds’ final playoff push.

The two teams will continue their three-game series Wednesday night in Cincinnati.