Bucs strike fast with Nady’s bat
His three-run homer led a four-run first inning in a 9-5 win over the Reds.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Xavier Nady hit a three-run homer Saturday night during another disastrous first inning by right-hander Bronson Arroyo, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 9-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
The Pirates scored four runs in their best first inning of the season, one day after they rallied to victory with their biggest splurge in three years.
Pittsburgh scored eight runs in the 10th inning for a 10-4 victory in the series opener.
Jason Bay had three hits and drove in three runs for the Pirates, who arrived in Cincinnati with a five-game losing streak but have done an about-face against the major leagues’ worst team.
The Reds have lost a season-high five in a row and 19 of 24 overall.
And, they have no idea what to make of Arroyo.
Let Bucs bat around
For the second start in a row, Arroyo (2-5) let the opposition bat around in a four-run first inning. In the home-stand opener on Monday, the right-hander threw 49 pitches and faced 10 batters in Washington’s four-run first.
It was similar on Saturday. The Pirates sent nine batters to the plate, scored four runs and forced Arroyo to throw 33 pitches. B
ay doubled home a run, and Nady followed with his second homer in two days, a three-run shot that landed in the first row of seats in left field.
Left-hander John Grabow (1-1) got the victory in relief of Shawn Chacon, who lasted 32⁄3 innings in his first start of the season. Chacon was moved from the bullpen to replace struggling Tony Armas in the rotation.
Pittsburgh came into the series struggling to get hits with the bases loaded, but have pawned that problem off on Cincinnati. The Reds loaded the bases in the third, fourth and fifth innings, but managed only a pair of runs on walks.
Hatteberg belts 100th
Scott Hatteberg hit a solo homer, the 100th of his career, in the eighth off Matt Capps.
Edwin Encarnacion and Alex Gonzalez hit back-to-back solo homers off Brian Rogers in the ninth.
Salomon Torres got the final three outs.
The Reds are 1-5 on a homestand against Washington and Pittsburgh, two other downtrodden teams.
The poor showing has brought catcalls for the bullpen and calls for manager Jerry Narron’s firing.
Narron signed autographs before the first pitch, then watched Arroyo — who led the NL in innings last season — implode again.
Pittsburgh’s four-run first was its best opening inning since it scored four at Wrigley Field last Sept. 4 in a 5-4 win over the Cubs.
Arroyo lasted a career-low two innings on Monday against Washington.
He went four innings on Saturday, giving up seven hits and six runs along with four walks.
Arroyo failed to strike out a batter for the first time since 2005.
Adam LaRoche added a solo homer for Pittsburgh in the ninth.
Notes
Pirates C Ryan Doumit was out of the lineup, a day after he was hit in the head by Ryan Freel’s bat at the end of a swing. “I feel good, though,” he said. “All is clear. All is well.” Manager Jim Tracy isn’t sure how long he will be out.