Pirates 4, Reds 2
Jordy Mercer and Garrett Jones each homered while Brandon Cumpton tossed five shutout innings as Pittsburgh concluded the regular season with its first three-game road sweep of Cincinnati in 10 years.
Mercer led off the second with an inside-the-park homer and came within a double of hitting for the cycle for Pittsburgh, which will host Tuesday's National League Wild Card game against the Reds after finishing the regular season 94-68.
Cincinnati posted a 90-72 record after scoring a total of eight runs during its season-ending five-game losing streak. The Reds cut into the Pirates’ 4-0 lead on Corky Miller’s two-run double in the eighth, but Jeanmar Gomez induced Neftali Soto to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Josh Harrison put the Pirates ahead 3-0 in the fourth with an RBI single off Greg Reynolds (1-3), who yielded three runs over five frames in his fifth start of the season. Both teams rested several starters after Pittsburgh clinched the NL's top wild-card spot with Saturday’s 8-3 victory.
Cumpton (2-1) allowed two hits and two relievers bridged the gap to Kyle Farnsworth, who worked around a leadoff single in the ninth for his second save. Harrison and Jose Tabata had two hits apiece for Pittsburgh, which has blasted a total of 20 home runs over its last 11 games.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Pirates recorded their first three-game series sweep at Cincinnati since March 31-April 2, 2003. … Reds RH Johnny Cueto will start against LH Francisco Liriano on Tuesday when Pittsburgh plays its first home playoff game since Game 5 of the 1992 NL Championship Series. … Reds 2B Brandon Phillips was held out with a bruised left shin, but is expected to be available for the wild card game.