Shoddy defense ruins Pirates in nightcap

Subpar defensive play in the seventh inning proved to be fatal Thursday night and resulted in the Pittsburgh Pirates settling for a split of their doubleheader with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark.

The host Reds took advantage of several miscues in the seventh that turned a 1-1 tie into a 5-1 lead, and that’s the way it ended.

The defensive lapses ruined a solid start from Bryce Wilson, who gave up just one run and five hits in his first six innings of work before his defense betrayed him in the seventh.

Wilson, who did not walk a batter and struck out four, retired the first two hitters in the seventh and then Nick Senzel reached safely when second baseman Josh VanMeter booted…