Will Benson, Reds coming in hot against woeful Pirates

The Cincinnati Reds are riding high as they prepare to open a three-game series against the Pirates in Pittsburgh on Monday night.

The Reds have won four in a row and are coming off a three-game home sweep of the Cleveland Guardians. The Pirates are trending in the opposite direction, coming off being swept three games at Philadelphia. They won only one of six games on their recent road trip, which began in New York against the Mets.

Pittsburgh has lost 16 of its past 20 games and six of its nine games since firing former manager Derek Shelton and promoting bench coach Don Kelly.

The teams will meet for the first time since the Reds swept a three-game series at Cincinnati on April 11-13.

The Reds' lineup heads to Pittsburgh on a roll of late thanks to an unlikely source.

Right fielder Will Benson, who was called up from the minors on May 10, homered for the fourth consecutive game and hit two home runs in Cincinnati's 3-1 win over Cleveland on Sunday.

Benson, who did not make the Opening Day roster and was believed to be just called up as a temporary replacement for injured starters Noelvi Marte (oblique) and Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back), is making a case to hold a steady spot in the surging Reds batting order.

In the eight games since his promotion, Benson is hitting .423 with five home runs and 11 RBIs.

"He's worked really hard," Reds manager Terry Francona said. "It seems like if he misses a pitch early in the count and they come back with it, he hasn't missed it a second time. He's swinging the bat really, really good and he's dangerous right now."

The Pirates' 1-0 loss on Sunday once again squandered a stellar start from ace Paul Skenes, who held the Phillies to that lone run on three hits and one walk with nine strikeouts over eight innings.

"Offensively, it's just continuing to grind, continuing to work and get better and execute during the game," Kelly said.

Skenes is hardly the only Pirates starter who has taken frustrating losses this season. Right-hander Mitch Keller (1-5, 4.15 ERA), who will oppose Reds lefty Nick Lodolo (3-4, 3.42) on Monday, has held opponents to three runs or fewer in six of his past seven starts. Yet Keller has not picked up a win since his first start of the season March 28 at Miami, and the Pirates have lost the past six games he has started.

In Keller's most recent start against the Mets on Tuesday, he gave up two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out eight in a game the Pirates lost 2-1. Keller is 3-5 with a 6.06 ERA in 17 career starts against Cincinnati.

Lodolo is hoping for better results than in recent weeks when he takes the mound Monday. In his most recent outing on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox, Lodolo allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks and struck out four over 5 1/3 innings. He took the loss as the White Sox won 4-2.

For the fourth time in his past six starts, Lodolo didn't get through the sixth inning. During that stretch, Lodolo is 1-3 with a 4.76 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 34 innings. Lodolo is 2-2 with a 4.30 ERA in four career starts against the Pirates.