PITTSBURGH (AP) — Eugenio Suárez hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning that rallied the Cincinnati Reds to a 9-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.
Trying to protect a one-run lead, Gregory Soto (4-2) let the first two Reds batters reach safely in the ninth before getting Sal Stewart to ground into a double play. Soto then walked JJ Bleday in front of Suárez, who drove a 2-2 sinker below the strike zone 344 feet the other
way to right field.
Chase Petty retired the side in order in the ninth for his first major league save.
Suárez's homer came after Esmerlyn Valdéz put Pittsburgh ahead 7-6 with a pinch-hit homer off Caleb Ferguson (1-0) in the eighth.
The Reds led three times and trailed twice. They were in front 2-0 and 6-4 before going up for good in the ninth. The Pirates went on top 4-2 in the fourth.
Stewart produced Cincinnati's first two runs. After a 36-minute rain delay, he sent a fastball from Jared Jones 372 feet over the right-field wall in the first inning for his team-leading 15th homer. In the third, Stewart drove in Jose Trevino with a two-out single that pushed third baseman Nick Gonzales to the edge of the infield ahead of an errant throw to first.
Brandon Lowe gave the Pirates a 3-2 lead in the third with a three-run homer.
Endy Rodríguez doubled in the fourth and scored on Jared Triolo’s two-out single for a 4-2 lead.
Edwin Arroyo hit an RBI double for the Reds in the fifth and scored on Lowe's fielding error at second base with two outs, tying it 4-all.
Jones went 4 2/3 innings, giving up four runs (three earned) and four hits.
Trevino put Cincinnati back ahead 6-4 by sneaking a two-run single through the right side in the sixth.
Reds ace Chase Burns was pulled after giving up a leadoff double to Triolo in the seventh. Triolo scored on Lowe's sacrifice fly.
Burns was charged with five runs and nine hits in six-plus innings. He struck out 10.
Ryan O’Hearn tied it 6-all with a two-out RBI single off Sam Moll later in the seventh.
Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (5-5, 4.89 ERA) starts the series finale Sunday against RHP Brady Singer (3-6, 4.81).
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