Pirates slide by Reds in 11 innings


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Pittsburgh Pirates’ Russell Martin scores the game winning run on an 11th-inning single by the Pirates’ Travis Snider off Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Alfredo Simon to end the game in Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Garrett Jones is a level-headed guy. Even he gets mad sometimes.

He was upset when he stepped into the batters’ box in the eighth inning Sunday after striking out with runners on second and third in his previous at-bat. Jones then unleashed his anger by hitting a 463-foot game-tying home run

Travis Snider then hit an RBI single with two outs in the 11th inning and the Pirates, boosted by a stellar effort from its bullpen, beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4.

Five Pittsburgh relievers combined for 10 scoreless innings. Starter Jeanmar Gomez was removed with tightness in his right forearm after giving up four runs in the first.

Jones’ drive off Jonathan Broxton cleared the right-field stands and reached the Allegheny River on the fly. It was just the second homer to make it into the river without bouncing and the first by a Pirates’ hitter. Daryle Ward hit the first on July 6, 2002, while playing for Houston.

It was Jones’ sixth home run of the season, but first since May 10.

“It was a swing of anger,” Jones said. “I haven’t been getting many big hits lately and I put everything I had into that swing. It felt pretty good. I wasn’t expecting to hit the ball in the river, which was pretty cool, but it was great to come through and give us a chance to win.”

Broxton said he tried to throw a cut fastball on the inner half of the plate

“He got to it in a hurry and it went a long, long ways,” Broxton said.

Reds shortstop Zack Cozart made a throwing error on Russell Martin’s one-out grounder in the 11th. After Pedro Alvarez walked, Jordy Mercer flied out before Snider then dropped a single into right-center off Alfredo Simon (4-2).

“I put Simon in trouble,” Cozart said. “I just threw it high. It was a bad play.”

Snider said the Pirates never felt out of it, even when they had to go to the bullpen in the second inning down 4-2.

That’s been the story of the year for us -- the bullpen, starting staff has really been picking us up and given us opportunities late in games to win ballgames,” said Snider, who entered the game in the ninth inning as a pinch hitter. “So anytime you can return that favor to them it’s a special one.”

Alvarez also homered for Pittsburgh. Snider and Andrew McCutchen had two hits each.

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