Mercer's single in 10th lifts Pirates over Reds
CINCINNATI -- Jordy Mercer singled with the bases loaded to drive home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, and Jung Ho Kang hit a game-tying two-run homer in the seventh, lifting the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 9-7 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night at Great American Ball Park.
Gregory Polanco also homered for Pittsburgh (72-74), which has won three of four after losing 12 of 14 to drop out of serious postseason contention.
Antonio Bastardo (3-0) earned the victory. Tony Watson notched his 13th save.
Steve Selsky led off the 10th with his first career home run for Cincinnati. Ramon Cabrera also homered for the Reds.
There were a combined 15 pitchers used.
Kang tied the score 6-6 in the seventh with his 19th homer, a two-run blast to center off Blake Wood. Kang twice was hit by pitches and walked prior to the homer.
David Freese capped Pittsburgh's scoring with a two-run single in the 10th. He replaced John Jaso at first base in the sixth.
All three tenth-inning runs were charged to left-hander Tony Cingrani (2-5).
Andrew McCutchen got things started for Pittsburgh with an RBI double in the first inning. Polanco followed with his 22nd home run on a 2-1 pitch from Reds right-hander Robert Stephenson to make the score 3-0. It was his fourth hit in eight at-bats since snapping an 0-for-14 skid.
Cincinnati got a run back on Brandon Phillips' RBI single in the bottom half of the first.
In the second, Cabrera's two-run homer to right, his second of the season, tied the score 3-3.
Pirates starter Ryan Vogelsong allowed six runs (four earned) in 4 2/3 innings.
Following Polanco's homer, Stephenson didn't allow a hit over the next four innings.
He was a strike away from escaping a bases-loaded situation in the fifth before hitting Kang with a pitch for the second straight time to force in the go-ahead run.
Stephenson allowed four runs in his five innings while walking four.
A three-run fifth gave the Reds a 6-4 lead.
The big blow was a low line drive by Schebler that eluded McCutchen in center and rolled all the way to the wall for a triple, allowing two runs to score.
NOTES: Cincinnati has allowed a club-record 236 home runs this season. The Reds bullpen has served up 93 of those, breaking the Kansas City Athletics record of 92 set in 1964. ... Reds manager Bryan Price was ejected for the ninth time this season in the 10th inning arguing the result of a replay review. ... The start of the game was delayed 31 minutes by rain. ... Cincinnati put CF Billy Hamilton on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique and placed LHP Cody Reed on the disabled list with low back spasms, both retroactive to September 5. Hamilton hasn't played since September 4. Reed hasn't pitched since his final start for Triple-A Louisville on August 29. ... Pirates OF Starling Marte missed his 11th straight game with back spasms, but is expected to play one game in Saturday's doubleheader.