Thanks to Marte's pinch-hit blast, Reds finally take down a Central foe

PITTSBURGH – In one Friday night at PNC Park, the Reds bucked a pair of unsightly trends. First, they finally got to Pirates ace Paul Skenes and put together a big rally. And in doing that, it helped them defeat a division rival.

Skenes had already departed when Noelvi Marte connected for a tiebreaking two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning that sent the Reds to a 6-4 win over Pittsburgh.

“Sometimes winning is hard. It doesn’t mean you can’t," manager Terry Francona said. "But we showed up today to try to win against one of the best pitchers in the game and we did. Now we’ll turn the page and make a lineup out here in a few minutes and see what we can do tomorrow.”

The day started with key reliever Tony Santillan (left oblique strain) going on the injured list. Then in the sixth inning, center fielder Blake Dunn departed with right elbow discomfort.

Then add facing Skenes, who entered 5-0 with a 0.53 ERA in seven starts against Cincinnati lifetime while his team won all seven games. Meanwhile, the Reds came in 2-16 vs. National League Central opponents, including the previous three losses vs. the Brewers.

“We knew who was on the other side," Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott said. "Paul, he’s going to bring his A game every time. It takes a lot to beat a guy like that. We haven’t played well against NL Central opponents, we know that. We haven’t played well in this building, not even just this year but in recent years while I’ve been here [lost 17 of the previous 24].”

But the Pirates had also lost each of Skenes' last seven starts this season. The Reds broke through with four runs while batting around in the second inning. It started with Nathaniel Lowe hitting a leadoff double into center field – the first of four straight hits. The run-producing hits came from Spencer Steer, who drove in Lowe with a single to left-center field, and Tyler Stephenson, whose RBI single to right field plated Eugenio Suárez. Dunn and Elly De La Cruz each provided sacrifice flies for a 4-1 Reds lead.

It took Skenes 38 pitches to complete the inning.

“I love when we hit the ball the other way, firmly," Francona said. "Even when you don’t, you still have a chance. His stuff is really, really good. We drove his pitch count up. We’ve done that a few times but not scored, so it’s nice to get some runs on the board.”

Skenes retired 10 of his last 11 batters and the Pirates chipped away on the Reds.

Abbott gave up Konnor Griffin's leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning but kept Pittsburgh's lineup in check until the fifth. Leading off the bottom of the fifth inning, Suárez's two-base throwing error on a grounder from Henry Davis led to an unearned run. Dunn hurt his elbow throwing to the plate, and he will get an MRI on Saturday morning.

“X-rays looked good. I’m not really concerned with bone structure," Dunn said. "I felt a little bit of a pop on the throw home, so hopefully it’s nothing major.”

Opening the bottom of the sixth, Abbott's 3-2 fastball was taken deep for a homer to center field by Marcell Ozuna. Two batters later, Esmerlyn Valdez tied the game by hitting a 2-0 Abbott fastball to left field for a solo homer.

In the top of the eighth inning, lefty reliever Mason Montgomery gave up a one-out single to Sal Stewart. Next was the right-handed Marte, who batted for the lefty Lowe. Marte came in batting .059 vs. lefties this season and has reverse splits for his career.

"[Dane] Myers is normally the guy that would hit there. But he had to go in for Dunn so just adjust," Francona said.

Marte hit a full-count fastball from Montgomery to left field for the first pinch-hit homer of his career.

“Boy, Marte sure took a nice swing," Francona said. "You don’t see a line drive that low go out to left field here very often.”

A thrilled Marte pointed to the Reds’ dugout after the ball cleared the fence.

“I was excited, especially when hitting off a left-handed pitcher," Marte said via translator Tomas Vera. "It’s something I’ve been working on and something I’m trying to get better on. I feel like that was a great moment.”

As was besting Skenes for the club.

“It brings up the confidence of every single one of us in this clubhouse where we all know that we have the talent to continue fighting," Marte said.