Reds 5, Pirates 1
CINCINNATI -- Eugenio Suarez hit a three-run home run and Raisel Iglesias allowed a run in five innings as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1 on a chilly afternoon at Great American Ball Park.
The game-time temperature on Saturday was 38 degrees with a wind-chill of 25 under partly sunny skies.
Pittsburgh (4-1) went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position with a chance to improve to 5-0 for the first time since 1983.
Iglesias (1-0) earned his first victory of the season in his second start, allowing eight hits over 5 2/3 innings but managing to prevent any extended Pirates rallies.
Suarez went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs while scoring each of the three times he reached base for Cincinnati (4-1).
Rust was a concern for right-hander Gerrit Cole, who made only two appearances in spring training due to rib inflammation. He pitched to Double-A batters in extended spring training on April 2 but had not pitched in a game since March 28.
He struggled in the first inning on Saturday, allowing two runs and four hits.
Leadoff batter Billy Hamilton doubled and scored on a single by Suarez, who later raced home on Jay Bruce's single to put Cincinnati ahead 2-0.
Cole found his rhythm and did not allow another hit until Joey Votto's single in the fifth and retired 10 straight in one stretch.
Iglesias, the second Cuban pitcher to start on Opening Day for the Reds, pitched himself in and out of trouble in each of the first four innings. His first 1-2-3 inning was in the fifth.
The Pirates had runners on first and third with no outs in the second, but Jordy Mercer lined into a double play to end the inning.
Iglesias' best Houdini act came in the fourth when the Pirates loaded the bases with one out but Mercer grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Cincinnati added a run on Brandon Phillips' RBI single off Arquimedes Caminero in the fifth.
The Pirates finally broke through against Iglesias in the sixth when Josh Harrison singled home Francisco Cervelli to make the score 3-1.
But, yet another rally killer play for the Pirates came moments later when Votto turned a 6-3 double play that required replay to confirm the tag on John Jaso at second base.
Reds pitchers rode the tight rope all afternoon. But, Pittsburgh could not break through.
It was still a two-run score until Suarez's three-run blast off Kyle Lobstein in the seventh put Cincinnati ahead 5-1.
NOTES: Reds RHP Tim Melville will make his major league debut on Sunday. A corresponding roster move will be made before the game. ... The Pirates and Reds have combined to hit 73 batters in their matchups over the past four seasons. The 37 hit batsmen by the Pirates are the most for any Cincinnati opponent during that period. ... Entering Saturday's game, the Pirates' bullpen had allowed one earned run in the first 13 innings of the season after posting a major-league leading 2.64 ERA last year.