Reds 11, Pirates 2
Ramon Hernandez hit a grand slam and Drew Stubbs added a two-run blast during a seven-run fifth inning as the Cincinnati Reds pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates, 11-2, on Saturday.
Joey Votto added three hits, an RBI, two runs and a stolen base and Jonny Gomes homered twice for the Reds, who saw their offense bounce back after totaling three runs in two straight losses.
The game was knotted at 2-2 when Cincinnati went to work against James McDonald (0-1) in the fifth. Miguel Cairo led off and reached on an error and Votto followed with a single and a stolen base. Jay Bruce was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out before Juan Francisco snapped the tie, knocking a single into right to push a run across.
Hernandez followed and took a 1-1 offering from McDonald over the wall in left to stretch it to 7-2. That ended McDonald’s day but not the rally, as Stubbs followed a single by Mike Leake with his third homer off Mike Crotta. McDonald was charged with seven runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Leake (2-0) was the beneficiary of all that support and ended up going six innings while allowing two runs on four hits and striking out six.