It was a day to forget for Cincinnati Reds pitchers Rhett Lowder and Connor Phillips, who combined to make some unfortunate MLB history on Saturday in Pittsburgh. The duo walked seven consecutive Pittsburgh Pirates batters in a wild five-run second inning—a feat that hadn't been seen in the big leagues since 1983.

The nightmare inning began after Lowder actually struck out Oneil Cruz to start things off, though that came after he'd already surrendered five runs in a nine-batter first. From there, control completely abandoned the Reds' hurlers. Lowder issued three walks, then Phillips came on in relief and promptly walked four more—with his first and third batters each getting free passes on just four pitches. Lowder's final walk also came on four pitches, making the streak even more painful to watch.

In total, seven straight Pirates batters took their base without swinging the bat. It's only the third time in MLB history that a team has drawn seven consecutive walks in a game, and the first since May 25, 1983, when the Pirates themselves walked seven straight Atlanta Braves batters—a strange bit of symmetry for the Pittsburgh franchise.

"Never seen that before," remarked one longtime press box observer. "You never know what you're gonna see at the ballpark when you wake up in the morning."

For Reds fans, this was a tough reminder that even on the most promising days, baseball can deliver the unexpected. While Lowder and Phillips will look to bounce back, this outing will be one they—and anyone watching—won't soon forget.