LaRoche snaps slump as Pirates win

His two RBI singles led Pittsburgh’s 6-5 win over Cincinnati.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Adam LaRoche snapped an 0-for-16 slump with a pair of RBI singles to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.

With the score tied at 4 in the eighth inning, Nate McLouth led off with a single off of Cincinnati left-hander Jeremy Affeldt (1-1). McLouth stole second and continued to third when Affeldt’s throw got past first baseman Joey Votto for a throwing error. Ryan Doumit walked and moved to second on a wild pitch, and LaRoche drove in McLouth with a soft single to right.

Mike Lincoln relieved Affeldt and gave up a run-scoring single to Andy LaRoche.

Tyler Yates (5-3) got the final out of the seventh inning to earn the win. Matt Capps pitched the ninth for his 19th save in 24 opportunities.

Adam LaRoche actually gave Pittsburgh the lead twice in the span of three innings after starting the game 0-for-2. He followed Doumit’s sixth-inning, RBI single off of Cincinnati starter Edinson Volquez — which tied the score at 3 — with a broken-bat bloop to short right field that drove in McLouth with the go-ahead run.

Volquez had a perfect game with five strikeouts before Nyjer Morgan led off the fourth inning with a ground-rule double to center field. Freddy Sanchez and Doumit followed with doubles to give Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead.

Ross Ohlendorf, a former New York Yankees reliever making his first career start, retired the first eight batters he faced before Volquez solidly lined a single to center field. Votto got the Reds on the board with a solo homer in the fourth, his 16th homer of the season and first in 39 at bats since Aug. 21. Edwin Encarnacion followed with a walk. Encarnacion moved to third on Jay Bruce’s double to right field and scored the game-tying run on a passed ball.

The Reds took a 3-2 lead in the fifth on Chris Dickerson’s sixth homer of the season. After Pittsburgh regained the lead in the sixth, Encarnacion tied it with a single to left.

Ohlendorf, acquired with three other players from the Yankees on July 26 when Pittsburgh traded outfielder Xavier Nady and left-hander Damaso Marte, lasted six innings, allowing three earned runs with one walk and two strikeouts.

Volquez went seven innings, giving up six hits and four runs with one walk and 13 strikeouts, a career high and the most by a Reds pitcher in one game this season.