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Crazy 8th: McKenry homers twice as Bucs rally late
Photo
The Pirates’ Travis Snider is tagged out by Reds third baseman Todd Frazier while attempting to steal third during the first inning of Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh. Down 5-0 going into the seventh, the Pirates rallied to down the Reds, 10-7.
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH
Michael McKenry knows he isn’t going to get many curtain calls as a backup catcher.
So he savored the moment Sunday when he called out of the dugout following his second home run of the day, a drive that tied the game as the Pittsburgh Pirates overcame a five-run, seventh-inning deficit to beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-7.
“Neil Walker pushed me out of the dugout and told me to go to tip my cap,” McKenry said. “It was special. It’s good to have good teammates who want you to get recognized, and it’s great to have the fans be so supportive and cheer that hard for you.
“A guy in my position, you just don’t expect it.”
McKenry got his curtain call after his two-run drive made it 6-6 in a six-run eighth inning against Jonathan Broxton (0-1).
McKenry had the first two-homer game of his four-year major league career, and Starling Marte hit a tiebreaking two-run drive.
Cincinnati has lost five straight, its longest slide since last Aug. 5-9. The Pirates swept the Reds for the first time since April 16-18, 2010, in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh trailed 5-0 when McKenry homered off Mat Latos leading off the seventh. Travis Snider’s RBI double off the top of the right-field wall — upheld after a video review — chased Latos, Andrew McCutchen doubled in a run against Logan Ondrusek and pinch-hitter Gaby Sanchez had an RBI single off Manny Parra.
“The home run gave us some hope,” Snider said. “We hit some balls hard early in the game and didn’t have anything to show for it, but then Latos started making a lot of tough pitches. We hung with it, though, and it’s a testament to the character of this team.”
Latos said McKenry hit a good pitch.
“It was low and in the zone,” Latos said. “He did what he was supposed to do, and you’ve got to give him credit.”
Jack Hannahan’s pinch RBI single off Jared Hughes (1-0) boosted Cincinnati’s lead to 6-4 in the eighth, but Broxton walked Pedro Alvarez leading off the bottom half and McKenry’s second homer tied it. Jose Tabata walked with one out, and Marte’s first home run of the season gave the Pirates an 8-6 lead.
“You just don’t expect to do that kind of damage against pitchers Latos and Broxton,” McKenry said. “They’re very good pitchers, and Latos has been particularly tough on us. I didn’t know if we’d get to him the way he was pitching.”
Pitcher Jonathan Sanchez pinch hit for Hughes and reached on Broxton’s third walk of the inning and scored on Gaby Sanchez’s sacrifice fly. Walker added an RBI single.
Pittsburgh’s three homers doubled its total this season. The Pirates have 32 runs during a 5-1 spurt after scoring eight in a 1-5 start.
The two homers and six runs allowed tied career highs for Broxton, a nine-year veteran. Reds manager Dusty Baker attributed Broxton’s struggles to rustiness as he had not pitched in a week.“