Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton was battling the wall while attempting to make a leaping and juggling catch.
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Pittsburgh Pirates Starling Marte (6), left, slides into second with a stolen base as Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips (4) applies a late tag in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016.
Bailey didn’t retire a batter in the fourth inning of his second start back from Tommy John surgery Saturday at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
Reds: RHP Homer Bailey (1-0, 3.18 ERA), who underwent Tommy John elbow ligament reconstruction surgery past year, will make his second start of the season.
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Sean Rodriguez led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a game-winning home run on a 2-1 fastball to secure the 3-2 victory over the Reds (44-64).
Bailey allowed five runs and eight hits in three-plus innings.
Pirates rookie Jameson Taillon gave up only one run in six innings with six strikeouts and one walk in his fifth consecutive quality start. He was coming off a promising season debut, limiting San Diego to two runs and five hits over 5 2/3 innings in a 3-2 win on July 31. The next batter, catcher Francisco Cervelli, hit a slow roller up the middle that Zack Cozart was able to get to in short center field, but Cervelli beat it out, driving in another run.
“I know this is part of recovery process but it doesn’t feel good when you cost your team the game”.
The right-hander surrendered three runs through seven innings in his first start since being acquired from the New York Yankees at the trade deadline. He had spent his entire seven-year career with the Yankees.
15 of 16. Nova has allowed home runs in 15 of his 16 starts this season.
“I did what I wanted to do – be a little bit aggressive in the strike zone, ” Nova said.
“When I try to be too passive, that’s when I swing and miss a lot”, Rodriguez said. Marte and Josh Harrison each had two hits for Pittsburgh, which entered three games out of the second NL wild card. The deep shot came after Tony Watson blew his first home save since being named closer. He allowed six hits, but struck out six and walked one and that was the only run he gave up. The second baseman raised his season total to eight but had last homered May 7 and ended a career-long streak of 286 at-bats without connecting.
That was enough for Reds manager Bryan Price, who came out to get Bailey. “It seems right now, he’s getting the barrel on the bat every time he’s up to bat and the results are starting to show”.
Phillips hit his second homer of the game, and eighth of the season, in the seventh inning.
Watson walked Eugenio Suarez to lead off the ninth, then Suarez was sacrificed to second by Tucker Barnhart.
After the Reds scored twice in the top of the second to take a 2-1 advantage, Bailey couldn’t make the lead last. C Cervelli returned after being hit the head Tuesday by a pitch and sitting out two games.
Rodriguez connected off Ross Ohlendorf (5-7), a 413-foot drive to the left-field bleachers that gave the Pirates just their second win in seven games in the midst of 12 straight games against teams who are at least 10 games under.500.
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With the loss, the Reds dropped their first series of the second half, stopping a streak of six straight series wins.
