Pirates Secure Victory vs. Reds
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CINCINNATI -- Josh Bell is finishing off one of the best power-hitting months in Pirates history.
The switch-hitting first baseman tied the club record with his 12th homer in May, and Pittsburgh beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-2 Wednesday for a split of their four-game series that ended with more bruised feelings.
Bell's three-run homer gave him 18 overall and equaled Jason Bay's mark of 12 in May 2006. His 23rd extra-base hit in the month left him one shy of Paul Waner's club record for any month.
Bell also had a pair of singles, raising his average to .345 and extending his hitting streak to nine games. He's hit safely in 28 of the last 29 games.
"It's been one of the most special starts I've seen in all the years I've been at the major league level, and I've seen some really good players," manager Clint Hurdle said.
The Pirates already had starters Trevor Williams and Jameson Taillon on the injured list heading into the series, and Jordan Lyles had to leave Tuesday night after only four innings because of discomfort in his left hamstring. Bell was the constant, going 7 for 17 during the series with two homers.
"He's seeing everything so well, it's a joke," left-hander Steven Brault said. "He's going to hit something hard."
The series wrapped up with another tense moment between the Ohio River rivals. Reds manager David Bell was ejected by umpire Jeff Nelson in the eighth for a heated discussion with the umpire crew after Eugenio Suarez was hit by a pitch.
Pittsburgh's Clay Holmes got Suarez on the back of the left hand with a fastball. Suarez walked toward the mound and exchanged words with Holmes , but players stayed in the dugouts. Suarez left the game for X-rays that were negative. Bell continued arguing.
"Clearly, we're not going to be protected by the umpires," said Bell, who's been ejected four times this season. "Clearly, they think it's OK to let them throw at our hitters. The league seems to think it's OK."
Last season, a pitch by Taillon broke Suarez's right thumb, causing him to miss 16 games.
"I just wanted to let them know I don't like that up-and-in," Suarez said.
"Last year they hurt my thumb. I wanted to know why he hit me. They said it wasn't intentional."
Colin Moran also had a three-run shot off Anthony DeSclafani (2-3), who has given up seven homers in his last three starts.
Brault (2-1) allowed three singles in 5 1/3 innings, his latest shutdown performance against the Reds. Brault is 4-0 career against Cincinnati with a 1.03 ERA and a scoreless streak of 19 2/3 innings.
His biggest task was stopping Derek Dietrich, who homered three times during an 11-6 win Tuesday night. Seven of Dietrich's 17 homers this season are against the Pirates, including one he admired last month at PNC Park that upset the Pirates and led to a benches-clearing fracas. Dietrich was limited to a pair of singles.
BRAGGING RIGHTS
The Pirates are 7-3 against the Reds this season, including 3-3 at Great American Ball Park.
EXTRA, EXTRA
Waner set the club record for extra-base hits in a month by piling up 24 in June of 1927 and again in August of 1928.
HERE COMES THE SUN
The start of the game was delayed 2 hours, 13 minutes because of rain. The delay didn't bother the Pirates, who matched their season high with 15 hits.
"It was a good day," Hurdle said. "The sun came out, the bats showed up."
SMOOTH START
Brault retired the side in order to open the game, the first time a Pirates had a clean first inning since May 19.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Pirates: Williams has resumed throwing off a mound. He's been sidelined since May 17 with a strained right side. Taillon hasn't resumed throwing. He's been on the injured list since May 4 with a strained elbow. … Infielder Jung Ho Kang will play third base, shortstop and DH during his rehab assignment as he recovers from a strained left side. … Catcher Francisco Cervelli will be examined Thursday as he recovers from a concussion.
Reds: Joey Votto missed a third straight game with tightness in his right hamstring. He was available to pinch hit.
UP NEXT
Pirates: Joe Musgrove (3-5) faces Milwaukee's Chase Anderson (2-0) as Pittsburgh opens a four-game series at PNC Park.
Reds: Following a day off, Cincinnati opens a three-game weekend series against Washington at Great American Ball Park. Tyler Mahle (1-5) faces left-hander Patrick Corbin (5-2).
Phillies 11, Cardinals 4
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Bryce Harper hit his 10th homer , his 200th career double and drove in four before fouling a ball off his foot and exiting in the fifth inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals following a rain delay.
The hot-hitting Harper had his second straight multihit, multi-RBI game against the Cardinals. He drove a two-run homer to left-center in the third and followed an inning later with a two-run hustle double. He had three hits when he left the game with the Phillies ahead by 10 runs.
Marlins 4, Giants 2
MIAMI (AP) -- Jorge Alfaro had a career-high four hits and the Miami Marlins handed the San Francisco Giants their seventh consecutive loss with a victory.
Neil Walker had a tiebreaking, pinch-hit double in the seventh and Starlin Castro hit the first triple of the season for the Marlins, who have won nine of 12.
Nationals 14, Braves 4
ATLANTA (AP) -- Anibal Sanchez allowed one hit in six scoreless innings, Howie Kendrick hit a three-run double and the Washington Nationals withstood a grand slam by rookie Austin Riley to beat the Atlanta Braves.
Sanchez (1-6) made a triumphant return to Atlanta, where he thrived in 2018, to earn his first win of the season. He allowed one hit and one walk with seven strikeouts.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Indians 14, Red Sox 9
BOSTON (AP) -- Carlos Santana homered and hit Cleveland's first triple of the season, Greg Allen added a pair of three-baggers and the Indians pounded out a season-high 18 hits in a win over the Boston Red Sox.
Santana, who finished a single shy of the cycle, was 3 for 4 with five RBI as Cleveland matched its season best for runs.
White Sox 8, Royals 7
CHICAGO (AP) -- Six innings after being beaned with a pitch from Kansas City starter Glenn Sparkman, Tim Anderson doubled in the go-ahead run in the eighth, lifting the Chicago White Sox to avictory over the Kansas City Royals.
Rays 4, Blue Jays 3
11 Innings
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Willy Adames delivered a long single against a five-man infield in the 11th inning, driving in the winning run as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays.
Tigers 4, Orioles 2
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Brandon Dixon hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth inning to lead the Detroit Tigers past the Baltimore Orioles.
Angels 12, Athletics 7
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Gold Glove first baseman Matt Olson made a rare throwing error in the 11th inning to allow the go-ahead run to score and the Los Angeles Angels beat Oakland to send the Athletics to their second straight loss after a 10-game winning streak.
Rangers 8, Mariners 7
SEATTLE (AP) -- Nomar Mazara and Asdrubal Cabrera hit consecutive doubles in the ninth inning, lifting the Texas Rangers over Seattle in a back-and-forth game that highlighted the Mariners' difficulties on defense and in the bullpen.
INTERLEAGUE
Cubs 2, Astros 1
HOUSTON (AP) -- Kyle Hendricks pitched eight strong innings, Kyle Schwarber homered for the second straight game and Kris Bryant added a solo shot in his return to the lineup to help the Chicago Cubs avoid a sweep with a win over the Houston Astros.
Yankees 7, Padres 0
NEW YORK (AP) -- DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit jolted prime rookie Chris Paddack with instant home runs, James Paxton pitched four hitless innings in his return from the injured list and the New York Yankees beat the San Diego Padres.