Reds 7, Pirates 1
PITTSBURGH -- Michael Lorenzen pitched one-run ball over six innings for his first major league win and Marlon Bryd drove in four runs as the Cincinnati Reds downed the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-1 on Tuesday night.
Lorenzen (1-1), a rookie right-hander making his second major league start, gave up just three hits while striking out four and walking three. He was a supplemental first-round draft pick in 2013 from Cal State Fullerton.
Byrd, the left fielder, and third baseman Todd Frazier both homered and had two hits, each. Center fielder Billy Hamilton, first baseman Joey Votto and second baseman Brandon Phillips also added two hits each to the Reds' 12-hit attack.
Frazier hit a solo shot in a two-run second inning, his seventh home run in the last 12 games and ninth of the season. Byrd connected for a two-run blast, his fourth, in the third inning to increase the Reds' lead to 4-1 and his two-run double capped a three-run ninth.
Right-hander Jumbo Diaz and left-handers Tony Cingrani and Aroldis Chapman finished the three-hitter with one hitless inning each.
The Reds (13-13) beat the Pirates (12-14) for the sixth consecutive time, dating to last season. Pittsburgh's overall losing streak reached four games and it dropped six of seven.
Jeff Locke (2-2) lost his second straight start, allowing four runs and seven hits in seven innings with two walks and five strikeouts.
The Pirates' lone run came on left fielder Starling Marte's seventh home run in the second inning that cut the deficit to 2-1.
Lorenzen gave up three solo home runs in five innings last Wednesday at Milwaukee in losing his debut after being called up from Triple-A Louisville to take the place of right-hander Homer Bailey, who underwent Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery.
Infielder Kristopher Negron snapped an 0-for-23 skid with a leadoff single in the ninth. Negron scored on Hamilton's infield single and Bryd followed with his two-run double.
Negron was filling in at shortstop for Zack Cozart, who missed his first game of the season because of a bruised right index finger.
The Reds used a pair of home runs to take a 4-1 lead in the third inning.
Frazier led off the second with a homer to center field, and another run scored later in the inning when catcher Brayan Pena grounded into a double play with the bases loaded.
After Marte homered into the left-field bleachers for the Pirates in the bottom of the second, Bryd hit a two-run homer to deep left-center field in the third inning to give the Reds a three-run lead.
NOTES: Reds SS Zack Cozart was held out of the lineup because of a bruised right index finger. He was injured Sunday while trying to barehand a ground ball in a game at Atlanta. Though X-rays were negative, the Reds listed Cozart as day to day. ... Pirates 3B Josh Harrison, who is in a 1-for-23 slump, got a day off. He spent extra time with hitting coach Jeff Branson before the game in an attempt to regain the timing of his swing. ... Cincinnati RHP Mike Leake (1-1, 3.03 ERA) will face Pittsburgh RHP Gerrit Cole (4-0, 1.76) on Wednesday night in the middle game of the three-game series. Leake hasn't lost to the Pirates in his last 14 starts, dating to May 5, 2012, and is 4-0 with a 2.95 ERA against them in his last nine starts. Cole was the National League Pitcher of the Month for April and has allowed one earned run or less in each of his last four starts.