Cincinnati Reds vs Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score on Sep 03, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 3, 2017

PITTSBURGH -- Jordy Mercer and Starling Marte hit homers Sunday as the Pittsburgh Pirates made the most of just five hits to beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-1 at PNC Park.

Pittsburgh (65-72), which moved seven games ahead of the last-place Reds (58-79) in the National League Central, took two of three in a weekend series.

Pittsburgh's Trevor Williams (6-7), who was 0-3 over his previous four starts, gave up eight hits and a walk but managed to throw seven shutout innings with the help of five strikeouts and a double play. The Reds were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position against him.

Felipe Rivero got his 17th save despite giving up an unearned run in the ninth.

Cincinnati starter Sal Romano (4-6), coming off of three straight quality starts, gave up two runs (one earned) and four hits over 5 2/3 innings, with four walks and two strikeouts. He also doubled, walked and barehanded a comeback grounder for the final out of the fifth.

Billy Hamilton led off the game with a single -- he opened each of the three games in the series with a hit -- and was bunted to second by Jose Peraza. Williams then picked Hamilton off second, a big play considering Joey Votto followed with a double. Williams stranded Votto by getting Adam Duvall to fly out.

Romano got his first major league hit in the third, a leadoff double that bounced into the stands in left field. He moved to third on Hamilton's sacrifice bunt but got stranded.

Jordy Mercer led off the Pittsburgh third with a homer to left-center, his 13th to set a single-season career high and produce a 1-0 lead.

Pirates' rookies chipped in to up the lead to 2-0 in the sixth. Max Moroff led off with a double off the wall in right and, an out later, moved to third on Josh Bell's single to left. Jordan Luplow -- who Saturday got his first two big-league hits, including a homer -- drove Moroff home with a single to left.

After Eliaz Dias hit into a fielder's choice and Sean Rodriguez walked, Romano was relieved by Kevin Shackleford, who struck out Mercer to end the inning.

Marte smacked his fifth homer, to the bushes below the batter's eye in center, with one out in the seventh to make it 3-0.

Cincinnati broke up the shutout in the ninth. With two outs, pinch hitter Zack Cozart reached on second baseman Max Moroff's error, allowing Scooter Gennett to score from third to make it 3-1.

NOTES: Pittsburgh 2B Josh Harrison's season is expected to be over. He was placed on the 10-day DL with a broken bone in his left hand, the result of his league-leading 23rd hit by pitch Saturday night. ... Pittsburgh INF/OF Chris Bostick was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. ... Cincinnati C Tucker Barnhart was activated from the paternity list, but he will not rejoin the club until it returns home Monday.