The visiting Pittsburgh Pirates hit four solo homers and used seven pitchers to deal Cincinnati a 7-5 loss on Friday, a crushing blow to the Reds’ fading bid for a playoff spot.
Pirates closer David Bednar overcame three baserunners, two of them on walks, in the ninth by inducing a double play and striking out rookie Noelvi Marte to end the game and record his 37th save in 40 chances.
Pittsburgh got long balls from Ke’Bryan Hayes, Henry Davis, Jared Triolo and Endy Rodriguez. The Pirates (73-81) won their third straight game and improved to 15-8 since Aug. 28.
The game featured five lead changes before the Pirates closed it out.
The Reds (79-76) lost their third straight contest and fell 1 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs (80-74) in the chase for the third and final National League wild-card spot.
In the seventh, facing Ian Gibaut (8-4), the Pirates tied the game on an RBI single from Bryan Reynolds and then took the lead for good when Miguel Andujar grounded into a fielder’s choice.
After leaving the bases loaded in the first inning against Pirates opener Andre Jackson, the Reds broke through in the second against reliever Luis L. Ortiz.
Elly De La Cruz singled to left-center, stole second and third and scored on Jonathan India’s sacrifice fly.
The Pirates tied the game against Cincinnati starter Andrew Abbott in the fourth.
Hayes opened the inning by driving a fastball to deep right field. Right fielder Will Benson had a bead on the fly but was in the wrong spot on the wall as the ball bounced on top of the yellow padding and into the second row of seats for Hayes’ 15th homer of the season.
Davis homered to the first row of seats in left to open the fifth for a 2-1 Pittsburgh lead.
Abbott had his third consecutive short outing despite allowing just the two runs. The left-hander struck out seven and allowed four hits and two walks over 4 1/3 innings.
The Reds reclaimed the lead in the fifth on a bases-loaded groundout by Joey Votto and an infield RBI single from Marte.
Solo homers from Triolo and Rodriguez off Buck Farmer put the Pirates up 4-3 in the sixth.
TJ Friedl answered in the bottom of the inning when he homered to right off Hunter Stratton with a runner aboard. Friedl’s 15th homer of the season put Cincinnati up 5-4. Despite giving up the go-ahead blast, Stratton (1-0) earned his first major league win in his sixth outing.
–Field Level Media
