Jul 24, 2002 3 min read

CINCINNATI (AP) – Austin Kearns drove in four runs and Reggie Taylor had his first career pinch-hit homer as the Cincinnati Reds finished their day of wheeling and dealing by beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2 Tuesday night. Kearns drove in runs with an infield single and a double off Kip Wells (10-7) and later added a sacrifice fly, making the Pirates pay for walking Ken Griffey Jr. ahead of him all three times.

The rookie also doubled home a run in the ninth off Josias Manzanillo as the Reds scored twice and pulled away.

Taylor batted for Jimmy Haynes (11-6) in the sixth and hit Sean Lowe’s first pitch for his fifth homer and the first pinch homer by a Red this season.

Earlier in the day, the Reds got snubbed by Texas left-hander Kenny Rogers, traded for right-hander Brian Moehler from Detroit and extended manager Bob Boone’s contract for another year.

Moehler was driving down Interstate 75 from Detroit, ready to claim a spot in the rotation, as the Reds got another solid performance from their most surprising starter.

Haynes gave up three hits in six innings, including Jack Wilson’s solo homer in the sixth.

Haynes lost 17 games for Milwaukee last season, but has helped Cincinnati stay in contention in the NL Central by going 8-1 in his 12 starts since May 25.

Adam Hyzdu, the NL’s most recent player of the week, hit a solo homer in the seventh off Scott Sullivan that cut it to 5-2.

Hyzdu, a Cincinnati native who broke Griffey’s home run record at Moeller High School, has three homers in his last four games.

The Pirates chose to pitch Griffey carefully in his second game back from a pulled hamstring. Wells intentionally walked him twice with first base open, and Lowe walked him on a full-count pitch to load the bases.

Kearns, next in the batting order, came through every time.

He hit a one-hop grounder off Wells’ leg that rolled for an RBI infield single in the first, and doubled home another run in the fifth for a 2-0 lead.

Taylor’s leadoff homer started a three-run seventh off Lowe, who later walked Griffey to loaded the bases.

Kearns had a sacrifice fly, and Russell Branyan followed with an RBI single.

Griffey also flied out before leaving the game as part of a double-switch in the seventh. In two games since his return, Griffey is 2-for-4 with two singles, four walks and a sacrifice fly.

Cincinnati’s Adam Dunn reached in all five plate appearances, getting a single, two doubles and two walks.

NOTES: The start of the game was delayed 29 minutes by rain. The Pirates have had 20 rain delays in their 100 games, totaling 22 hours, 7 minutes. … Hyzdu has five homers this season. Griffey has two. … Hyzdu is 10-for-25 (.400) career with four homers against the Reds, who released him after the 1995 season. … Manzanillo was ejected by plate umpire Randy Marsh after the bottom of the eighth for jumping and yelling at him as he left the field. … Reds 1B Sean Casey had more medical tests that found a slight tear in a muscle in the back of his left shoulder, which has bothered him since April. He might get a cortisone shot to help the healing. Surgery isn’t being considered.