Mike Minor watched the ball drop into the second row of seats in left field and he stood motionless on the mound for a few seconds before turning to ask for a new ball.
There was undoubtedly plenty of frustration as Minor stared into the distance.
After the Reds took a one-run lead in the fourth inning, everything fell apart in a six-pitch sequence. Three straight Pittsburgh Pirates hitters reached base in those six pitches through two singles and a three-run homer.
It was those six pitches and those three batters in the fifth inning that led to the Cincinnati Reds’ 6-3 loss at Great American Ball Park on Monday, their first three-game losing streak since they were swept by the Philadelphia Phillies in a four-game series from Aug.