Reds Fall In Walk Off Fashion To Pirates 6-5

Apr 21, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Russell Martin (55) tags out Cincinnati Reds right fielder Jay Bruce (32) at the plate during the eighth inning at PNC Park. The Pirates won 6-5. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

What a wild game in Pittsburgh tonight, lots of opportunities by both sides, but the home team got the last hoo-rah in this one.Second baseman Neil Walker’s RBI single,  with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning rallied the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.

Walker’s hit scored catcher Russell Martin, who drew a one-out walk off reliever from the “greatest reliever ever” in J.J. Hoover. Center fielder Andrew McCutchen also walked before third baseman Pedro Alvarez popped out.

Walker then hit dropped a bloop into short right field and Martin scored when right fielder Jay Bruce’s throw home was high.

McCutchen tied the score 5-5 with a leadoff home run,  in the bottom of the eighth off left-handed reliever Manny Parra. That came after the Reds went ahead with two runs in the top of the inning as Bruce doubled in a run and catcher Devin Mesoraco had an RBI single.

McCutchen and Walker each had three hits for the Pirates and first baseman Ike Davis hit a grand slam, his first home run in a Pittsburgh uniform, it was his second grand slam against the Reds this season, had one when he was a New York Met, two weeks ago via walk off fashion.

The Reds got three hits each from Mesoraco, second baseman Brandon Phillps and third baseman Todd Frazier. Mesoraco has a hit in all 10 games this season and is batting .541.

Center fielder Billy Hamilton’s sacrifice fly in the seventh drew the Reds within 4-3.

Jared Hughes pitched a scoreless ninth for the win after being recalled from Triple-A  earlier in the day.

Pittsburgh starter Francisco Liriano gave up five runs, four earned, in seven innings. Cincinnati starter Mike Leake allowed four runs, all on Davis’ slam, in seven innings.

Davis’ fourth-inning grand slam put his new team ahead 4-2. Davis was acquired from the New York Mets last Friday in a trade.

The Pirates loaded the bases with no outs against Leake as McCutchen singled, Alvarez doubled and Walker was hit by a pitch. Davis then hit a blast into the right-field stands for his second homer of the season.

The Reds used the speed of Hamilton to manufacture a first-inning run. Hamilton was hit on the left foot by a pitch and then advanced all the way to third base on first baseman Joey Votto’s soft tapper back to the mound. Phillips hit a ground ball to Alvarez, but Hamilton beat the throw home.

The Reds made it 2-0 in the third on back-to-back doubles by Phillips and Bruce.

Tough loss, teams back at it tomorrow night at 7:05pm, Johnny Cueto for the Reds and former red Edinson Volquez for the Pirates.