CINCINNATI (Interstat) — Nick Lodolo dominated over 6 1/3 overpowering innings, striking out 12 Pittsburgh batters and allowing just two hits, to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday evening at Great American Ball Park.

In a game defined by pitching, Lodolo’s performance was the cornerstone. The left-hander baffled Pirates hitters from the outset, generating swings and misses with a sharp mix of fastballs and breaking balls. He did not allow a run and walked only one, outdueling Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft in a contest that saw the two teams combine for only 13 hits.

The Reds (81-78) snapped a two-game losing streak against the Pirates with the win, while Pittsburgh (69-90) saw a brief two-game winning streak come to an end.

For the first four innings, the game was a tense pitchers’ duel with zeroes on the scoreboard. Ashcraft managed to work around traffic on the basepaths, stranding Cincinnati runners in each of the first four frames. The Reds collected eight hits off Ashcraft but could not breakthrough until the fifth.

The decisive inning began with a single by Ke’Bryan Hayes. TJ Friedl then lined a double into the gap in left-center field. Hayes attempted to score from first but was thrown out at the plate on a perfect relay from center fielder Alexander Canario to second baseman Nick Yorke to catcher Joey Bart. The Pirates challenged the tag play, but the call was upheld after a review, recording the first out.

The play proved critical, but the Reds immediately responded. Noelvi Marte followed with a sharp single to center field, scoring Friedl to tie the game at 1-1. Marte advanced to second base on a throwing error by shortstop Nick Gonzales. The next batter, Gavin Lux, delivered the game-winning hit, grounding a single into right field to plate Marte and give Cincinnati a 2-1 lead.

That was all the support Lodolo and the Reds’ bullpen would need. Lodolo continued his mastery into the seventh inning before turning the game over to the bullpen after recording one out in the frame.

Pittsburgh mounted its only serious threat in the top of the eighth inning against reliever Tony Santillan. Pinch-hitter Spencer Horwitz led off with a double and advanced to third on a groundout by Jack Suwinski. Nick Yorke then grounded out to third base, but it was productive, allowing Horwitz to score and cut the deficit to 2-1.

With the tying run now at third base and two outs, Reds manager David Bell went to the bullpen for Graham Ashcraft, who struck out Jared Triolo on a foul tip to end the inning and preserve the lead.

Emilio Pagán entered in the ninth inning to close the door for Cincinnati. The Pirates went down in order, with Bryan Reynolds flying out sharply to right field and Andrew McCutchen flying out to end the game. Pagán earned his 30th save of the season.

The Pirates’ offense was virtually nonexistent outside of the eighth inning, managing only three hits total. Bryan Reynolds and Tommy Pham had the only other hits for Pittsburgh, both singles.

Beyond Lodolo’s brilliance, the Reds received multi-hit games from Friedl, who went 2-for-3 with a run scored, and Lux, who went 2-for-4 with the crucial RBI. Cincinnati outhit Pittsburgh 10-3 but struggled to capitalize fully, leaving eight runners on base.

Braxton Ashcraft (4-4) was charged with the loss for Pittsburgh, surrendering two runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings. Pirates relievers Carmen Mlodzinski and Kyle Nicolas combined for 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just two hits and striking out three.

The game, played in a swift 2 hours and 16 minutes before an announced crowd of 24,249, defied pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a higher-scoring affair with a final of 5-3 in favor of Cincinnati, and the total score of three runs fell well under the over/under line of 8.5.

The result sets up pivotal final series for both clubs as the regular season concludes. The Pirates travel to Atlanta to face the Braves for a three-game set beginning Friday. The Reds, meanwhile, head to Milwaukee for a three-game series against the Brewers starting Friday.