Pirates 7, Reds 6
PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates capitalized on a seven-run fourth inning to pick up all the offense necessary to beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 Tuesday.
Pittsburgh's win ended a three-game losing streak after the Pirates were swept by the Nationals in Washington over the weekend.
Neither team's starter lasted past the fourth inning.
Pirates right-hander Rob Scahill worked two-thirds of an inning and got the victory after he came on in relief of left-hander Jeff Locke. Scahill (2-3) was charged for one run and two hits.
Cincinnati right-hander Pedro Villarreal replaced Reds right-hander Josh Smith in the fourth and took the loss. Villarreal (0-2) gave up three unearned runs on two hits.
Right-hander Mark Melancon struck out the side in the ninth to collect his 24th save.
Right fielder Jay Bruce cut the Pirates' lead to one run with his 12th home run of the season, a solo shot in the sixth inning.
But Pittsburgh left fielder Starling Marte prevented the tying run from scoring in the seventh when he dove headfirst to snatch a low line drive off the bat of third baseman Todd Frazier. The catch ended the inning with center fielder Billy Hamilton on third.
Cincinnati scored before Locke recorded an out. The Reds led off with four consecutive singles by second baseman Brandon Phillips, first baseman Joey Votto, Frazier and right fielder Jay Bruce.
Phillips scored on Bruce's single for a 1-0 lead.
Two more runs crossed when shortstop Eugenio Suarez hit a grounder to Pittsburgh first baseman Pedro Alvarez, who threw to shortstop Jordy Mercer for the force-out on Marlon Byrd. But Mercer's throw was behind Locke, covering first on the play, and Bruce scored after Frazier.
Bruce drove in his second run of the game with the bases loaded in the fourth. He grounded a slow roller to first that allowed center fielder Billy Hamilton to score from third and put Cincinnati up 4-0.
Pittsburgh got on the board in the home half of the fourth when second baseman Neil Walker led off with a walk and moved to second on third baseman Josh Harrison's single. Both scored on Alvarez's double to cut Cincinnati's lead to 4-2.
The Pirates' next batter, catcher Francisco Cervelli, tied the game with a two-run home run.
Smith did not record an out in the third and was pulled from the game after he failed to allow a hit in the first three innings. The right-hander gave up four runs on two hits in three-plus innings. He walked six and struck out three.
Locke was also pulled after four innings after he was charged for four runs (two earned) on nine hits. He walked two and struck out none.
Right-hander Pedro Villarreal took over for Smith and yielded a two-out triple to right fielder Gregory Polanco who scored when left fielder Starling Marte reached on an error by Suarez.
Center fielder Andrew McCutchen followed with a two-run home run that capped a seven-run inning, putting the Pirates up 7-4.
Cincinnati got a run back in the fifth when catcher Tucker Barnhart led off with a double and scored on Hamilton's sacrifice fly.
NOTES: Pittsburgh 2B Neil Walker returned to the starting lineup for the first time since June 16 after missing four of the team's last five games with a stomach ailment. ... Cincinnati RHP Johnny Cueto's scheduled start on Tuesday was pushed back to Friday. ... Reds RHP Josh Smith made his major league debut on Tuesday.