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Martin pushes Pirates past Reds in resumed game

Apr 15, 2014 - 11:10 PM Cincinnati, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Russell Martin singled home the winning run in the seventh inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates downed the Cincinnati Reds, 8-7, in the opener of a three-game set.

The game began on Monday and went into a lengthy rain delay in the seventh inning, and after close to two hours, umpires decided to postpone the game until Tuesday.

Prior to the postponement, the contest featured 10 home runs, a new record for Great American Ball Park and just two shy of the most for a single game in MLB history.

Included in those home runs were three back-to-back pairs for Pittsburgh. the first time that happened in a game since the Red Sox turned the trick on June 17, 1977.

Neil Walker and Gaby Sanchez clubbed back-to-back shots to open the second and sixth innings, while Starling Marte and Travis Snider did it to start the fifth.

It's only the third time in MLB history that this has occurred, with the Reds also accomplishing the feat on Aug. 18, 1956.

Bryan Morris (2-0) got the win for tossing the sixth inning, while starter Wandy Rodriguez pitched five innings and gave up six runs on six hits for the Pirates, who were swept over three games by Milwaukee prior to this series.

Joey Votto, Todd Frazier and Ryan Ludwick each hit a two-run home run for the Reds, who have lost three of four. Cincinnati starter Homer Bailey gave up five runs on eight hits with nine strikeouts over five innings.

Pittsburgh started at the plate when the game resumed in the top of the seventh, and Andrew McCutchen doubled with one out then moved to third on a wild pitch from Sam LeCure (0-1). After Pedro Alvarez looked at strike three, Russell Martin punched a single to center for an 8-7 lead.

Tony Watson worked around a leadoff single in the seventh, while Mark Melancon gave up a one-out walk in the eighth, but got the next two batters out to preserve the lead.

Jason Grilli pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out Billy Hamilton for his fourth save of the season.

McCutchen's RBI single in the first briefly gave Pittsburgh the lead, but Votto walked with one out in the home half and Frazier clubbed a pitch over the wall in center for a 2-1 advantage.

Pittsburgh used the long ball in the second for a 3-2 advantage as Walker led off the frame with a homer and Sanchez followed with his first of the season.

In the fourth, Frazier lofted a pop up down the right field line and Snider made a sliding attempt at a catch. The ball popped out and it was ruled foul, but a challenge from Cincinnati saw the call overturned and Frazier was awarded a double. Two batters later, Ludwick clubbed a pitch over the center- field wall for a 4-3 lead.

Pittsburgh, though, again got consecutive homers to start the fifth, as Snider followed Marte's shot for a 5-4 advantage.

Cincinnati again turned to the long ball to grab the lead back as Neftali Soto had a pinch-hit double and Votto later hit his third homer of the season for a 6-5 advantage.

As they did in the second inning, Walker and Sanchez homered again to start the sixth to give the Pirates a 7-6 lead.

Devin Mesoraco's two-out solo shot to left in the home sixth tied the game.

Game Notes

The previous record for homers at this stadium happened on May 27, 2012, when the Rockies hit five homers and the Reds had four ... Pittsburgh won 11 of the 19 games against Cincinnati last season.