Reds defeat reeling Pirates, snap five-game slide
PITTSBURGH -- Jose Peraza delivered a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to lift the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Friday.
An inning after allowing a one-run lead to slip away, the Reds regained it by playing small ball in the ninth. Eugenio Suarez began the inning with a single to left off closer Tony Watson (2-5) before Ramon Cabrera bunted him to second.
Tyler Holt singled to right and Suarez was held at third to set up Peraza, who provided the Reds their fourth one-run lead of the game.
The Reds (58-82) saw their five-game losing streak end and put a dent into the Pirates' wild card hopes. Pittsburgh (69-70), which left the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, lost for the ninth time in 11 games.
Raisel Iglesias (3-1) earned the victory after allowing one run and three hits in two innings.
The Pirates, facing a 3-2 deficit, received a spark in the eighth when Josh Harrison and John Jaso singled to start the inning, putting runners on the corners. Andrew McCutchen hit a sacrifice fly to center, tying the game.
With the scored tied 2-2 two innings earlier, Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips belted a 2-2 pitch from right-handed reliever Jared Hughes into the left field bleachers to give Cincinnati the lead. It was Phillips' 10th home run of the season and only the second since hitting two against the Pirates on Aug. 6.
Before Phillips came through in the sixth, Reds right-hander Tim Adleman controlled the game with solid work from the mound and plate. Adleman surrendered two runs on seven hits in six innings.
In a game with little offensive action early, the Reds built a 2-1 lead off the bat of an unlikely source. Pirates left-hander Steven Brault, who allowed two runs on five hits in five innings, surrendered a hit to Adleman in consecutive innings, helping the Reds score one run in the third and another in the fourth.
After the Reds struggled to generate anything off of Brault through two innings, Adleman opened the third by ripping a sharp double into right-center field before Peraza walked. Zack Cozart laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners, and Joey Votto flipped a single over Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer and into center field, scoring Adleman and giving Cincinnati a 1-0 lead.
Pittsburgh answered when Harrison doubled down the left-field line to drive in Mercer from second and tie the game 1-1 in the bottom of the third, but Adleman came through again to reestablish the Reds' one-run lead in the fourth.
An inning after Adleman doubled, the Pirates elected to intentionally walk Ramon Cabrera in front of him with two outs and Suarez on second. Adleman singled to right, driving in Suarez and putting the Reds ahead 2-1.
That lead wouldn't last either, though. Josh Bell did enough to allow Mercer to score from third on his groundball to first base in the fifth inning, tying the score 2-2.
NOTES: Reds C Ramon Cabrera replaced Tucker Barnhart behind the plate Friday. Barnhart went 1-for-3 in a 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Thursday. Cabrera, who is hitless in his last eight at-bats, last started Sunday. ... Over the last four seasons, the Reds' pitchers hit 50 Pittsburgh batters, the most by any major league pitching staff against any opponent. ... The Reds hope to get OF Billy Hamilton (oblique) back this season, but he has yet to begin baseball activities. ... Pirates OF Starling Marte (back spasms) did not start for the fourth consecutive game. Josh Bell remained in right field with Andrew McCutchen in center and Gregory Polanco in left. ... Pirates LHP Steven Brault made his fifth career start. He had gone more than five innings pitched once in his previous four starts, in a 3-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 29. ... Pirates RHP Gerrit Cole (elbow inflammation) threw 32 pitches in a bullpen session Friday. He is expected to make his first start since Aug. 24 against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.