With three home runs, strong bullpen work and nice defense, the Reds put together the recipe for a 3-2 victory over the Pirates on Monday at Great American Ball Park in the opener of their three-game series. It was Tucker Barnhart’s seventh-inning solo home run that provided the difference.
Pittsburgh had taken a 2-1 lead with two runs in the top of the sixth inning against Reds starter Dan Straily. But there could have been more damage, as Straily began the inning with the bases loaded and no outs before getting a sacrifice fly from Francisco Cervelli and an RBI groundout by Jung Ho Kang.
In the bottom of the sixth, Joey Votto hit a one-out solo homer to left field that tied the game. With two outs in the seventh, Barnhart provided the go-ahead run when he hit a Jonathon Niese first pitch to left field for his first homer of the season. It required a crew chief review to confirm there was no fan interference as the ball landed in the first row of seats.
For Niese, who also allowed Zack Cozart’s first-inning home run, it was the fourth time in seven starts he gave up multiple homers.
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