The rivals will meet again in Cincinnati on September 7 and in Pittsburgh on October. 2 to close the regular season.
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Toronto pitcher Aaron Sanchez was ejected after hitting shortstop Alcides Escobar with a pitch, and Toronto manager John Gibbons was also ejected.
It was less than two years ago that the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds faced off in the NL wild-card game.
This night got out of hand quickly for the Pirates. There is always something in the air. “The constant is we both pitch inside”. There is a lot of testosterone.
Things would not stop there as the Reds would drill Andrew McCutchen in the top of the eighth inning of this one.
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen throws in the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Friday, July 31, 2015, in Cincinnati.
In the ninth, Pirates closer Mark Melancon, looking to extend his saves streak to 32 straight, was ejected after hitting catcher Tucker Barnhart.
Joakim Soria recorded the final two outs earning his first save as a Pirate and 24th overall on the season.
Burnett, the All-Star right-hander, lasted just 4 1/3 innings, his shortest outing this season, and fought both his command and a weakened arsenal, including a sinker that mostly sat in the high-80s. “If I can keep it in the ballpark, I think the small dimensions help the outfielders”.
“Does he get the save?” manager Clint Hurdle said. “Very solid effort”.
He walked one and struck out eight but needed 98 pitches to get through five innings. Billy Hamilton reached on an infield hit, stole second and third (giving the center fielder 49 steals for the season), then scored on Phillips’ single against a drawn-in infield, making the score 5-1.In the fifth, Holmberg collected his first career hit, a single, putting runners at first and third.
“Pitching Thursday took some of the nervousness away”, Sampson said. I have a reputation of walking guys. “I wanted to attack”. “I’m just trying to hit the ball hard somewhere”. Marte threw a runner out at the plate in the ninth inning Friday night and also made a diving catch to preserve a 5-4 win. But following a one-minute, 25-second crew chief review, it was determined that the ball struck a railing in the stands before caroming onto the field.
“He’s playing left field as good as anybody in the game”, Hurdle said. “We don’t play that game”.
Reds: Rookie Raisel Iglesias makes his fourth appearance since returning from a strained left oblique. Burnett, who plans to retire after the season, said there was “no chance” he would have season-ending surgery.
Pirates: Gerrit Cole is 9-2 with a 2.15 ERA in his last 12 starts.
Reds left-hander David Holmberg, recalled from Class AAA Louisville on Thursday to take now-Kansas City Royals ace Johnny Cueto’s spot in the rotation, scattered five hits, three walks and two runs over six innings.
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Reds: After Monday’s day off, Cincinnati opens a run of 13 games in 13 days with the first of a three-game series against Central-leading St. Louis.
