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Votto helps Reds rally from early deficit, top Pirates

Sep 4, 2008 - 11:28 PM CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Joey Votto was not going to let the Cincinnati Reds go down without a win against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Votto singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as Cincinnati rallied past Pittsburgh, 8-6, and avoided a sweep in the finale of a three-game series on Thursday.

Votto finished with two hits and two RBI, including a single to right field off Pittsburgh's T.J. Beam in the eighth that scored Corey Patterson for a 7-6 advantage.

That was a part of a three-run frame for the Reds, who dropped a pair of one-run decisions in the first two games of the series. The Pirates entered the series in the midst of a 10-game losing streak.

"All the guys together grinded it out and put some runs on the board," Votto said. "It gave us an opportunity late in the game to win it."

Despite being on its way to a 16th consecutive losing season, Pittsburgh has recorded three sweeps this season, including one over Cincinnati from April 11-13.

The Pirates appeared to be on the way to another after its first two turns at-bat Thursday, scoring five runs off Reds starter Josh Fogg. Rookie Steve Pearce hit a two-run single in the first inning and Chris Gomez added a two-run homer in the second.

Despite the 5-0 lead, Pittsburgh starter Tom Gorzelanny could not make it hold up, giving up three runs and seven hits in only 3 2/3 innings.

It was the lefthander's shortest outing in his last 10 starts.

"I need to keep getting the ball down and keep working on the mechanics and be confident with myself, be confident with my stuff," Gorzelanny said. "I don't feel like I lost confidence. I just didn't execute my pitches."

Cincinnati rookie Jay Bruce homered in the second inning and Votto added his 17th of the season in the fifth to cut the deficit to 5-4.

The Reds tied the score in the sixth, as Andy Phillips delivered a leadoff single, moved to second on a base hit by rookie Chris Dickerson and third on a sacrifice by Jeff Keppinger before reaching home when Brandon Phillips grounded out to second base.

Pittsburgh regained the lead in the eighth when Nate McLouth led off with his 24th home run off Nick Masset (1-0).

However, Pirates reliever Craig Hansen (0-3) struggled in the bottom half, walking Wilkin Castillo to start the frame before Corey Patterson reached on a bunt single when he was attempting to sacrifice. Both runners then moved up a base on an actual sacrifice by Dickerson before Hansen unleashed a wild pitch that allowed Castillo to score.

After Keppinger was walked, Hansen was replaced by Beam, who gave up the go-ahead single to Votto and a sacrifice fly to Edwin Encarnacion.

"They were gaining on us trying to get out of the cellar," Reds manager Dusty Baker said of the Pirates. "We didn't start out too well and got down 5-0. But we slow-walked them with a lot of ones in consecutive innings until we got that crooked number in the eighth.

"I'm tired after that game. We had to figure out how to stay in it, get back in it and then win it. What I like is we executed. We still left a lot of runners on base. But we kept battling, kept fighting."

Reds closer Francisco Cordero worked around a two-out walk and a single in the ninth for his 27th save.

It was the fourth win in the last six games for Cincinnati, which wrapped up its series with Pittsburgh with a 6-9 record.

Keppinger also drove in a pair of runs for the Reds, including an RBI double in the fourth inning that cut the deficit to 5-3.

Fogg allowed five runs and four hits in three innings, leaving the game with a groin injury after scoring on a sacrifice fly by Keppinger.

With Fogg forced to exit early, rookie Ramon Ramirez came on to allow the Reds to get back into the game, tossing three perfect innings with two strikeouts.

"He threw great, he threw excellent," Baker said. "That's what you want - a guy to come in and throw up zeroes and stop the scoring to give us a chance to come back. When you're in a deficit like that, you can't trade runs with them. I'm very impressed. He doesn't appear nervous rattled or scared. And he throws strikes."