CINCINNATI (Interstat) — In a brisk, pitching-dominated contest that defied pregame projections, the Cincinnati Reds relied on a two-run fourth inning and a dominant start from Chase Burns to blank the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0 on Monday night at Great American Ball Park.

A crowd of 13,626 watched as the Reds, improving to 3-1, continued their strong early-season form by winning a third straight game. The Pirates, meanwhile, fell to 1-3, their offense silenced for the second time in four contests.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the bottom of the fourth inning, breaking a tense pitchers’ duel. Reds starter Chase Burns and Pirates starter Braxton Ashcraft had traded zeroes through the first three frames, with Burns allowing just one walk and Ashcraft navigating around two early hits.

The Cincinnati rally began with Elly De La Cruz singling sharply to center field. Sal Stewart then worked a walk, putting two on with no outs. Eugenio Suárez followed by lacing another single to center, loading the bases and setting the stage for the game’s decisive plays.

Spencer Steer then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, deep enough to score Stewart from third and give the Reds a 1-0 lead. The next batter, Will Benson, delivered the critical blow, driving a triple to the gap in right-center field. Suárez raced home from first, doubling the Cincinnati advantage to 2-0. That line drive proved to be the game’s only extra-base hit and provided all the necessary offense.

Burns, the Reds’ top star, was magnificent in earning his first win of the season. The right-hander overpowered Pittsburgh’s lineup over five shutout innings, surrendering just one hit—a fifth-inning single to Spencer Horwitz—while walking two and striking out seven. He faced minimal threat, with the Pirates putting only three runners in scoring position during his outing.

Pittsburgh’s best chance to answer came in the top of the seventh against reliever Jose Franco. Ryan O’Hearn led off with a single and, with two outs, Nick Gonzales added another single to put runners on first and second. Franco escaped the jam by striking out Henry Davis looking, one of Davis’s three strikeouts in an 0-for-4 day.

The Pirates mounted a final, tense threat in the ninth against Reds closer Connor Phillips. Marcell Ozuna and Ryan O’Hearn drew back-to-back walks with no outs, bringing the potential tying run to the plate. Phillips, however, bore down. He struck out Jared Triolo looking, got Spencer Horwitz to fly out to left, and ended the game by inducing Nick Gonzales to pop out to second base, securing his first save of the season.

Ashcraft was the hard-luck loser for Pittsburgh, falling to 0-1 despite a quality start. He worked six innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks. The Pirates bullpen of Justin Lawrence and Isaac Mattson was stellar in relief, combining for two perfect innings and six strikeouts.

The Reds bullpen trio of Graham Ashcraft, Franco, and Phillips was equally effective, preserving the slim lead over the final four innings. Graham Ashcraft struck out all three batters he faced in his 1.1 innings of work.

Both teams managed only four hits apiece in a game that lasted just 2 hours and 17 minutes, a stark contrast to the high-scoring affair projected by Interstat’s game simulator, which had predicted a 7-6 Cincinnati victory. The total of two runs fell dramatically under the over/under line of 8.

The Pirates, coming off a 4-3, 10-inning win at New York on Sunday, saw their bats go quiet again. The Reds continued a pattern of tight victories, having won 3-2 and 6-5 in their previous two games.

The two National League Central foes will continue their series on Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park.