PITTSBURGH- It was by no means easy, but the Pittsburgh Pirates (61-67) managed to score another 6-5 victory against their league rival Cincinnati (62-67) on Friday.
Aside from a 436-foot home run to center field in the first inning by Cincinnati’s Tyler Stephenson that scored the game’s first run, it was a fairly quiet night offensively for both sides in the first three innings.
Bailey Falter got into trouble in the top of the fourth inning when Stephenson reached base on an infield hit, Spencer Steer hit a double to left and then back-to-back sacrifices brought those two home. Santiago Espinal capped the Reds’ big inning with a two-RBI base hit to left to give Cincinnati a 5-0 lead.
The Pirates went hitless through the first four innings of the night, despite facing three different pitchers during that span. Three straight hits to start the fifth inning lifted the Bucs’ scoring tally, with Bryan De La Cruz scoring the first run of the night with his third double in the last two games. To keep things going, Rowdy Tellez scored on a fielder’s choice, followed by an RBI single up the middle by Jared Triolo. Another score followed in the inning after another fielder’s choice, bringing the Pirates back to within one run.
Oneil Cruz got the Pirates going on the next at bat with a ground rule double, allowing Bart to bring it home and tie the game with a single to right to make it 5-5. Tellez moved Bart to third base and once again Bryan De La Cruz hit a sacrifice fly to deep right center to put Pittsburgh ahead.
David Bednar allowed a leadoff double to Will Benson, who was pinch-hitting Amed Rosario to strike out first in the ninth inning, but he recovered by striking out Espinal and getting TJ Friedl and Elly De La Cruz to line out to secure the win.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES
1. 2B Isiah Kiner-Falefa 0-4, RBI
2. DH Bryan Reynolds 1-4
3. SS O’Neil Cruz 1-3, BB, 2B
4. C Joey Bart 2-4, RBI
5. 1B Rowdy Tellez 2-3, BB
6. RF Bryan De La Cruz 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI
7. LF Billy McKinney 0-4, RBI
8. 3B Jared Triolo 1-4, RBI
9. Midfielder Ji-Hwan Bae 0-3
CINCINNATI RED
1. 2B Jonathan India 0-4
2. SS Elly De La Cruz 0-4
3. C Tyler Stephenson 2-3, home run
4. LF Spencer Steer 1-3, BB, 2B
5. 1B Ty France 1-3, RBI
6. CF Stuart Fairchild 0-3, RBI
7. RF Amed Rosario 1-3
ph Will Benson 1-1, 2B
8. 3B Santiago Espinal 3-3, 2 RBI
9. DH Noelvi Marte 0-2, BB
Tomorrow’s odds: Undecided (CIN) vs. Jake Woodford (0-5, 6.67 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. EST.
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