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Reds take down Pirates to avoid sweep

Jul 21, 2011 - 5:19 AM Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - After being shutout in their past two games, the Cincinnati Reds had no such trouble Wednesday, taking down the red-hot Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-1, to avoid a sweep in the finale of a three-game set at PNC Park.

Jay Bruce went 2-for-2 and scored a run. Joey Votto, Edgar Renteria and Miguel Cairo had an RBI apiece for the Reds, who avoided their first sweep since dropping three straight to the Indians May 20-22.

Jonny Cueto (6-3) picked up his first win since beating the Mets June 22. Cueto went six innings, surrendering just one run on four hits while fanning four.

Andrew McCutchen knocked in the Pirates' lone run with an RBI double in the club's third loss in nine games. They fell a half-game behind Milwaukee for first place in the NL Central after the Brewers beat Arizona in 10 innings later Wednesday.

Jeff Karstens (8-5) was pegged with the loss after giving up three runs -- one earned -- on seven hits over seven frames.

The Reds took over the momentum of the game after adding a run in the fifth to go up 3-1. Cueto reached first on Chase d'Arnaud's second error of the game and then moved to second on a Chris Heisy single to left. Renteria followed with a single through the hole at short to knock in Cueto.

Pittsburgh threatened in the seventh with runners on first and second with no outs, but Bill Bray and Logan Ondrusek stymied the rally and retired the next three hitters. It was a familiar scene for the Pirates, who went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.

The Reds took a 1-0 first inning lead after Heisey reached on a throwing error by d'Arnaud. He moved to second on the errant throw. Renteria bunted Heisey over to third before he scored on a Votto sacrifice fly.

Cincinnati extended its lead by one in the second. Bruce led off with a walk, then stole second base. Bruce then advanced to third when Gomes singled into left before scoring on a Cairo sacrifice fly.

"We were going to try to score a run any way we could early," manager Dusty Baker said. "Especially with the fact they don't give up a lot of runs, especially here in their ballpark."

Pittsburgh cut the score to 2-1 in the fourth. Neil Walker was hit by a pitch before scoring when McCutchen sent a towering fly ball off the top of the right-center wall, narrowly missing a home run.

"You want to win every game, but more than likely you're probably not (going to)," McCutchen said. "We lost one today, it didn't go our way. Oh well, shake it off and get ready for tomorrow."

Game Notes

Scott Rolen committed just his fourth error of the season in the seventh inning...Walker's 13-game hitting streak was snapped...Pirates fell to 40-23 when their pitcher throws six or more innings.