Field Level Media
May 22, 2018
Scooter Gennett slugged a grand slam as part of a season-best six-RBI night to help the Cincinnati Reds post a 7-2 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday.
Right-hander Matt Harvey (1-2) pitched six strong innings to win for the first time in three starts since joining the Reds. Harvey allowed one run, three hits, two walks and struck out five.
Tucker Barnhart went 3-for-4 and scored twice for Cincinnati. Gennett went 2-for-3 and scored twice, and Eugenio Suarez also had two hits.
Pittsburgh has dropped four consecutive games.
Colin Moran and Austin Meadows hit solo home runs for the Pirates.
The start of the contest was delayed 65 minutes by rain.
Pittsburgh right-hander Jameson Taillon (2-4) was touched up for six runs and eight hits over six innings. Taillon struck out eight and walked one while losing his fourth straight decision.
Gennett's performance fell four RBIs shy of his career high. He posted a memorable four-homer, 10-RBI outing against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 6, 2017.
Cincinnati led 2-1 when it loaded the bases with one out in the fifth against Taillon. Jose Peraza singled, Barnhart doubled down the first base line and Joey Votto was intentionally walked.
Gennett came up and hammered a first-pitch changeup approximately 15 rows deep into the bleachers in right to make it 6-1. The grand slam was his fifth with the Reds and sixth of his career.
Meadows hit his second career homer to left in the seventh to pull Pittsburgh within four. The Pirates loaded the bases with one out later in the inning before right-hander David Hernandez retired Gregory Polanco on a popup and Francisco Cervelli on a grounder to douse the threat.
Cincinnati pushed its lead back to five in the bottom of the seventh when Peraza scored on Gennett's sacrifice fly to center.
Four relievers followed Harvey and combined to allow one run and three hits.
Gennett's first RBI came in the opening inning when he doubled in Barnhart. Suarez followed with a double to left to make it 2-0.
Pittsburgh got on the board in the fourth when Moran hit a one-out blast to right.
--Field Level Media