Reds 15, Pirates 5
CINCINNATI -- Brandon Phillips hit a pair of three-run home runs and had a career-high seven RBIs, and left fielder Marlon Byrd added a three-run shot, as the Cincinnati Reds pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates 15-5 in the opener of a four-game series on Thursday night.
First baseman Pedro Alvarez homered for Pittsburgh (59-42), which remained winless in four games at Great American Ball Park this season while dropping to 2-8 overall against the Reds.
Cincinnati (46-54) won its third straight game after taking two of three at first-place St. Louis.
Right-hander David Holmberg (1-0) was recalled from Triple-A Louisville to take Johnny Cueto's spot in the rotation after the Reds' ace was traded to Kansas City on Sunday. Holmberg allowed two runs and five hits in six innings.
First baseman Joey Votto continued his torrid pace at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and two walks to pace a 19-hit Cincinnati attack.
Both of Phillips' homers came off right-hander Deolis Guerra. It was his 11th career multi-homer game.
Since 1920, when RBIs became an official statistic, Phillips is the only major league player with two homers, four hits, seven RBIs and two steals in a game, per Elias Sports Bureau.
Guerra allowed six runs and seven hits in 1 1/3 innings.
Meanwhile, right-hander A.J. Burnett's outing on Thursday was concerning for the Pirates. Burnett (8-5) allowed seven earned runs after allowing more than three just twice this season.
In the eighth, Pirates outfielder Jaff Decker became the first Pirates position player to pitch in a game since Travis Snyder on June 18, 2014, vs. Cincinnati.
Burnett never found his rhythm, relying mostly on a fastball that didn't have much pop.
Following back-to-back singles with one out in the first, Byrd launched Burnett's 3-1 pitch an estimated 438 feet to center for a three-run homer, making the score 3-0. It was Byrd's 17th home run of the season.
Pittsburgh got a run back when Alvarez hit his 15th home run with two outs in the second.
Over the next three innings, Cincinnati put the game away.
Votto doubled and scored on right fielder Jay Bruce's sacrifice fly in the third.
Billy Hamilton reached on an infield hit, stole second and third (giving the center fielder 49 steals for the season), then scored on Phillips' single against a drawn-in infield, making the score 5-1.
In the fifth, Holmberg collected his first career hit, a single, putting runners at first and third. A throwing error by Alvarez allowed a run, boosting the margin to 6-1.
That was all for Burnett. Phillips hit his sixth homer of the season, a three-run bomb off right-hander Deolis Guerra, and the rout was on.
Later in the inning, Bruce delivered a two-run double off Guerra to make the score 11-1.
Burnett wound up charged with eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings.
NOTES: Pittsburgh acquired RHP Joakim Soria from Detroit in exchange for minor league SS JaCoby Jones. ... The Pirates sent INF Justin Sellers to the Chicago White Sox for a player to be named or cash. ... Pirates RHP Vance Worley was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for RHP Joe Blanton, who was acquired early Thursday morning from Kansas City for cash considerations. ... Cincinnati optioned C Kyle Skipworth to Double-A Pensacola, placed RHP Nate Adcock on the disabled list with a right elbow injury and recalled RHP Keyvius Sampson from Louisville.