Hamilton’s extra-innings double defeats Pirates

Associated Press

CINCINNATI

The Cincinnati Reds took advantage of some sloppy play by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night.

The Pirates managed just three hits while being charged with two errors, both of which led to unearned runs in the Reds’ 4-3 victory in 10 innings.

Tucker Barnhart walked with one out in the 10th. Arismendy Alcantara pinch-ran for him and went to second on Daniel Hudson’s (0-1) errant pickoff attempt.

After a groundout, Billy Hamilton lined a double to right, giving the Reds consecutive wins for the first time since completing a four-game winning streak on April 12.

“It was big for me when it got to two strikes,” Hamilton said. “I didn’t want to strike out in that situation. It was big for Arismendy to get to second base.”

Michael Lorenzen (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

Adam Duvall had a three-run home run for the Reds.

Josh Harrison homered twice and Andrew McCutchen also went deep for Pittsburgh, which has lost two straight games after winning three in a row.

“It comes down to execution at this level — at every level,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “We made enough mistakes to lose by one run. Three hits on a night challenges you.”

Harrison, a Cincinnati native playing before about 10 of his family and friends, tied it at 3-3 with his second homer of the game, a two-out solo shot into the left field seats off Drew Storen in the eighth inning.

The key to hitting two homers is simple for Harrison.

“Get pitches to hit and don’t miss them,” he said.

“I’d like to have gotten him up another time,” Hurdle said.

Reds starter Amir Garrett allowed just two hits — solo homers by Harrison and McCutchen in seven innings.

The performance was a vast improvement over his previous start at Milwaukee, where he allowed eight hits — including three home runs — and 10 runs in 3 1/3 innings.

“Obviously, he was better than in his last start,” Hurdle said. “I think the low strike zone helped. He changed speeds. We weren’t able to square him up.”

“It was a good bounce-back game for me,” Garrett said. “Everything was up last game, and I didn’t know why. I just went about my routine. I didn’t work on anything. I just had a good bullpen between starts.”

Manager Bryan Price considered it just another lesson for the rookie left-hander.

“You learn a lot about young pitchers after they’ve been kicked in the teeth,” Price said. “It’s a difference-maker, how they respond to adversity.”

Harrison’s second home run of the game got Gerrit Cole off the hook. The Pirates starter went into the game 0-6 with a 5.44 ERA in eight starts against Cincinnati, including 0-3 with a 4.55 ERA in five starts at Great American Ball Park.

“He had a very good ballgame,” Hurdle said. “He was very strong again.”

McCutchen hit his fourth homer of the season into the left field seats with two outs in the first inning. Harrison added his third, an opposite-field shot to right, leading off the sixth.