With the Reds down to their last strike, Eugenio Suarez hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the top of the ninth to lift Cincinnati to a 9-7 comeback win over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.
Suarez’s eighth homer of the season off Pirates closer Gregory Soto (4-2) gave the Reds back-to-back wins and doubled their win total against National League Central division opponents entering the series. It was Soto’s fourth blown save of the season.
Soto gave up a single to Edwin Arroyo, who finished with two hits, and walked Elly De La Cruz to open the ninth. Sal Stewart, who had two hits and two RBIs, grounded into a double play. But Soto walked JJ Bleday, keeping the inning alive for Suarez.
Chase Petty shut the door on the Pirates in the bottom of the ninth to record his first career save.
The Pirates had taken a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the eighth on Esmerlyn Valdez’s pinch-hit solo homer off Caleb Ferguson (1-0). It was Valdez’s second home run in as many days and fourth of the season.
Jose Trevino’s two-run single with one out in the top of the sixth scored Spencer Steer and Noelvi Marte and gave the Reds a 6-4 lead. Trevino also had two hits and two RBIs.
Reds starter Chase Burns struck out a season-high 10 batters, matching a career high, but he had his franchise-record streak of 12 consecutive outings allowing two runs or fewer snapped. Burns gave up five runs on nine hits and did not issue a walk.
Burns left the game following a leadoff double by Jared Triolo in the seventh. Triolo would come around to score two batters later on a sac fly by Brandon Lowe to cut Cincinnati’s lead to 6-5.
Reliever Sam Moll walked Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzales to set up Ryan O’Hearn’s game-tying single. Reynolds extended his hitting streak to 17 and on-base streak to 32.
Lowe led the Pirates with four RBIs and Triolo had three hits. Jake Mangum also had two hits. Jared Jones started for the Pirates and gave up three earned runs on four hits and a walk and struck out four in 4 2/3 innings.
