Noelvi Marte’s first career pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning lifted the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-4 road victory over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.
Marte’s two-run homer off reliever Mason Montgomery (2-3) helped snap the Reds’ three-game losing streak and was only the third win for Cincinnati against a National League Central opponent in 19 games this season.
Marte’s homer followed Sal Stewart’s one-out single in the eighth, which snapped a streak of 13 consecutive Cincinnati batters retired by Pittsburgh pitchers.
The Pirates lost for the eighth consecutive time when ace and reigning National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes pitches.
Skenes left with a no-decision, but he allowed four runs — all in a nightmarish second inning — and gave up six hits, walked two and struck out seven over five innings.
Pirates rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin returned from the injured list and hit his first career leadoff home run, and fifth of the season, in the bottom of the first to put Pittsburgh ahead 1-0.
But the slim lead didn’t last after Skenes threw 38 pitches in the second.
Spencer Steer’s single with runners at the corners and no outs scored Nathaniel Lowe and tied the game at 1. Tyler Stephenson followed with an RBI single and Blake Dunn drove in Steer with a sacrifice fly. Stephenson then scored on a sacrifice fly by Elly De La Cruz for a 4-1 advantage.
Stephenson led the Reds with two of their eight hits.
Pittsburgh chipped away at the lead with a run in the fifth when Henry Davis reached and advanced to second on a throwing error by third baseman Eugenio Suarez. After advancing to third on Griffin’s groundout, Davis scored on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Lowe.
The Pirates tied the game in the sixth on solo home runs by Marcell Ozuna and Esmerlyn Valdez off Reds starter Andrew Abbott, who allowed three earned runs (four overall) on six hits and one walk. Abbott struck out six.
Left-hander Brock Burke (3-3) escaped trouble in the seventh after reliever Tejay Antone hit Griffin with a pitch with one out. Lefty Caleb Ferguson pitched a scoreless ninth and picked up his first save since April 3, 2024, with the New York Yankees.
