Pirates belt four homers, edge Reds
CINCINNATI -- Josh Harrison, Andrew McCutchen, David Freese and Jung Ho Kang homered, lifting the Pittsburgh Pirates to a come-from-behind, 5-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night at Great American Ball Park.
Jay Bruce hit a two-run homer for Cincinnati, which earned a split in what became a two-game series when Tuesday night's game was rained out.
Reds starter Alfredo Simon allowed three runs, all on solo home runs, in six-plus innings. Pirates starter Juan Nicasio gave up four runs in six innings, serving up one homer.
There was controversy in the sixth when Pirates left fielder Starling Marte appeared to steal second with one out. Following a two-minute, 48-second video review, it was determined Marte's hand came off the base while second baseman Brandon Phillips was applying the tag.
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle came out to argue and was ejected, as was Marte moments later.
Harrison, who entered the game at second base, replacing Sean Rodriguez, who moved to left when Marte was ejected, hit a solo homer off Tony Cingrani in the eighth inning to tie the score 4-4.
In the ninth, Kang reached on an infield single and advanced to third on a bunt. He scored when Jordy Mercer dumped a single into right field, putting the Pirates (18-15) ahead to stay.
Mark Melancon pitched the ninth for his 10th save. Tony Watson (1-0) earned the win after throwing a scoreless eighth.
Due to warnings issued earlier in the game, Reds right-hander Ross Ohlendorf (3-4) and manager Bryan Price were ejected in the ninth inning when Freese was hit by a pitch, the sixth hit batter of the night. Cincinnati pitchers plunked four Pirates, and Pittsburgh pitchers hit two Reds.
Billy Hamilton tripled into the right field corner and scored on Brandon Phillips' single to put the Reds ahead 1-0 in the first.
Simon held the Pirates hitless until McCutchen led off the fourth inning with a solo homer to tie the score 1-1. It was the 26th time McCutchen has homered against the Reds (14-20), the most against any opponent.
The beanball wars continued Wednesday night between the Pirates and Reds.
After Simon hit Kang in the fourth, Nicasio plunked Phillips to begin the bottom half of the inning. Plate umpire Jeff Kellogg issued a warning to both benches as Phillips slowly walked to first.
But, the next batter, Bruce, crushed Nicasio's 3-1 pitch to the opposite field for a two-run homer, his sixth, putting the Reds ahead 3-1.
Freese, batting leadoff for the first time since 2010, belted his second homer of the season with two outs in the fifth to make the score 3-2 in the fifth.
NOTES The Reds and their opponents combined to hit 36 homers during the nine-game homestand, including five Wednesday. It is the third-highest homer total for a homestand of 10 games or fewer in Cincinnati. ... The last time four Pirates were hit by pitches was Sept. 7, 2008 at San Francisco. ... Reds 1B Joey Votto, who played in all 33 of the club's games this season, was given a day off Wednesday. ... Reds LHP John Lamb, who left Sunday's start in the fifth inning with a sprained thumb, played catch on Wednesday and is on track to make his next start Monday in Cleveland.