Bucs’ rally sinks Reds, 10-4

The Pirates’ eight-run uprising in the 10th was their biggest in a long time.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Ronny Paulino’s bases-loaded double highlighted the Pittsburgh Pirates’ biggest rally in nearly three years Friday night, an eight-run splurge in the 10th inning that set up a 10-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

The Pirates overcame Ken Griffey Jr.’s 574th career homer by sending 12 batters to the plate in the 10th inning and repeatedly delivering with the bases loaded, one of their biggest shortcomings so far this season.

Chris Duffy’s sacrifice fly off closer David Weathers (1-3) snapped a 2-all tie and started the latest failure by one of the NL’s worst bullpens.

The Reds fell to 0-9 when the score is tied after seven innings.

Weathers gave up a run-scoring double by Freddy Sanchez and later hit Jason Bay with the bases loaded to force in the third run, bringing loud boos from the crowd of 36,455 that has seen such meltdowns many times already.

When he reached the bench, Weathers angrily threw his glove and cap to the bench.

Paulino delivers

Paulino provided the clinching hit, a two-run double off Brad Salmon that left Reds players walking around on the field with their heads down. It was Pirates’ biggest inning since they scored nine runs at Montreal on July 9, 2004.

Jonah Bayliss (4-2) retired the two batters he faced in the ninth to get the win.

Cincinnati has lost 18 of 22, leaving the Reds with the major leagues’ worst record at 18-31. The latest loss came against another struggling team — the Pirates had lost five in a row.

Griffey moved ahead of Harmon Killebrew for eighth place on the career home run list with a solo shot in the sixth inning off Paul Maholm.

Griffey has 10 homers in May, the most by any major leaguer. Brandon Phillips followed Griffey’s homer with one of his own, tying it at 2.

Bay, Nady connect

Jason Bay and Xavier Nady hit solo homers off Aaron Harang, who allowed only five hits in eight innings.

The Pirates have repeatedly left the bases loaded in the past week, and did it again with a chance to break the game open in the eighth against Harang. Sanchez then topped a grounder and was thrown out at first base by catcher David Ross, preserving the 2-all tie until the Reds’ bullpen got involved.

Bay’s homer in the second inning was his 12th at Great American Ball Park, tying Aramis Ramirez for second-most by a visiting player. Houston’s Lance Berkman has 15.

Nady’s homer provided an upbeat moment at a ballpark where he had one of his most embarrassing plays the last time around. During a wintery 7-5 loss to the Reds on April 7, Nady let Adam Dunn’s wind-blown fly ball deflect off his glove and into the right field stands for a decisive two-run homer.

Notes

Maholm was the 366th pitcher to allow a homer by Griffey. ... Pirates C Ryan Doumit was hit in the back of the head by Ryan Freel’s swing in the third inning. Doumit grounded out in the fourth, then left the game with dizziness and was taken to a hospital for a precautionary test. ... LHP Eddie Guardado threw about 30 pitches to Reds batters before the game without problem. If his surgically rebuilt left elbow is fine in the next couple of days, he’ll make his first rehab appearance Monday at Class-A Dayton.