Jack Suwinski’s RBI double in the fourth was the difference-maker Saturday as the Pittsburgh Pirates won their sixth game in a row, 2-1 over the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

Pittsburgh starter Rich Hill (2-2) allowed one run and six hits in five innings, with seven strikeouts and three walks. The walks and the fact the Reds had at least one baserunner in each inning he pitched got his pitch count up, and thus the Pirates’ streak of quality starts ended at 11 games.

Duane Underwood Jr. picked up a two-inning save, his second, without allowing a baserunner.

The Reds have lost five straight and six of their past seven. They have managed just six runs through the first three games of this four-game series.

Cincinnati starter Luis Cessa (0-3) pitched 4 2/3 innings, giving up two runs and six hits, with four strikeouts and no walks. While it wasn’t a gem, the start was a bounce-back from Sunday, when Cessa gave up 11 runs, nine in the first, and 14 hits in three-plus innings Sunday against Philadelphia.

Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead in the first. Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a leadoff triple to right-center and came home on Bryan Reynolds’ sacrifice fly to left.

With one out in the fourth, Carlos Santana doubled to the corner in right. Suwinski sent Santana home with a double to right to up the Pirates’ lead to 2-0.

Cincinnati cut the deficit in half in the fifth. Jonathan India led off with a base hit to center. An out later, Stuart Fairchild singled to center, where Ji Hwan Bae overran the ball. His fielding error allowed India to score to make it 2-1.

The Reds had just three baserunners the balance of the game.

The game came hours after the Pirates announced a contract extension for manager Derek Shelton, who had been on the final year of his deal.

The start was delayed almost a half-hour because of rain.

–Field Level Media