NATIONAL LEAGUE Pirates top Reds 3-2 with homer

Ron Mackowiak's blast gave manger Lloyd McClendon his 200th win.
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Pinch-hitter Rob Mackowiak saved Oliver Perez from a tough loss and gave Pittsburgh manager Lloyd McClendon a milestone victory.
Mackowiak hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning Wednesday night to give Pittsburgh a 3-2 win over Cincinnati, McClendon's 200th victory with the Pirates.
"After a win like that, sure they feel good," said McClendon, 200-267 in three seasons with Pittsburgh, "I'd like to have gotten it a lot quicker. I hope the next 200 come a lot quicker."
The Pirates won for just the second time this season when trailing after eight innings. They scored six runs in the ninth on Aug. 1 to beat Colorado 12-11.
Pinch-hit blast
Craig Wilson opened the ninth with a single off Chris Reitsma (9-5). Mackowiak, batting for Jason Bay, then hit a 2-0 pitch deep into the right-field bleachers for his sixth homer of the season and fifth in 18 games since being recalled from Triple-A Nashville.
"Obviously, to come in and help the team win is big," Mackowiak said. "With a 2-0 count, there was a pretty good chance that he was going to come in with the fastball. He throws pretty hard. It was just in my zone."
Reitsma had converted six consecutive save opportunities.
"I got it up, and he put it where he should have," Reitsma said.
The Reds struck out 12 times, setting a club record for strikeouts in a season with 1,189 -- one more than last year. This is the third consecutive season they have set a strikeout record. Cincinnati has struck out 10 or more times in 40 of its 145 games.
Perez, acquired Aug. 26 from San Diego in the Brian Giles trade, retired the first nine batters he faced -- six with strikeouts. He walked Juan Castro to start the fourth, but didn't allow a hit until Ruben Mateo singled with two outs in the fifth.
Perez allowed three hits and a walk in seven innings while striking out 10. He hasn't won since beating St. Louis for the Padres on July 22.
"It's a shame we didn't score some runs earlier to get him the win," Mackowiak said.
Tavarez gets save
Mike Lincoln (3-4) allowed one hit in the eighth inning, and Julian Tavarez earned his sixth save in nine chances.
The Pirates were leading 1-0 in the seventh when Russell Branyan hit a one-out, ground-rule double down the left-field line. One out later, Wily Mo Pena was hit by a pitch. Mateo, who hadn't started since Aug. 29 because of a sore right hamstring, followed with a double to right-center that scored Branyan and Pena.
Todd Van Poppel, making his second start of the season and first for the Reds, allowed one run, six hits and no walks in six innings. He matched his career-high with nine strikeouts.
Pittsburgh's Abraham Nunez led off the third inning with his third homer of the season.