Pirates lose to Reds, 3-2
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Don’t like the Cincinnati Reds’ lineup? Don’t worry, manager Bob Boone is bound to change it soon. Juan Encarnacion, moved up in the order as Boone again juggled his lineup, homered and drove in all three Reds runs in a 3-2 victory Thursday night over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Jimmy Haynes (1-1) bounced back from a rough opening start to limit the Pirates to six hits, including Kevin Young’s two-run homer, over 6 1-3 innings.
Boone, who started 131 different lineups last season, was at it again, shifting Encarnacion to second after batting him sixth all but once previously. He also dropped Adam Dunn to fifth after batting him fourth in an 8-5 victory Wednesday.
“Usually before this, I hit No. 3, 4 or 5, but I’m new here and whatever they feel is best for me, I have no problem with it,” said Encarnacion, traded by Detroit in December. “I’m just confident right now. I’m happy, and that makes it easier to play. Everything is a lot better for me over here.”
Encarnacion, batting .316, responded with a long solo homer to right to lead off the fourth and a two-run single in the fifth, both off Jimmy Anderson (1-1), who had won four of five dating to last season.
“He hit that ball a long way (in the fourth) and the wind was blowing in,” Boone said. “He has the makings of a real special player. Sometimes it just takes a while to mature, but he’s awfully dangerous.”
Haynes couldn’t help himself following Jason LaRue’s leadoff single in the fifth, as LaRue was forced at second on the pitcher’s failed sacrifice bunt attempt. But Barry Larkin followed with a double, sending Haynes to third, and Encarnacion’s two-run single made it 3-2.
Young had homered the inning before, his second, to briefly put the Pirates ahead 2-1 – only the second homer off the Reds in 49 innings.
“I’m upset because Kevin hit that homer to put us ahead, and I’ve got to put up a zero the next inning,” Anderson said. “But I got some pitches up and gave the runs right back.”
Haynes lasted only 2 1-3 innings in an 8-7 loss Friday to Montreal, allowing four earned runs and six hits in his 18th loss in 26 decisions. Going into the game, he was 1-4 with a 5.75 career ERA against the Pirates, only to hold them to six hits while striking out six.
The Pirates were limited to two runs or fewer for the fifth time in eight games, even though they are 5-3.
“We’ve just got to get that intensity back, and we’ll be fine,” Pokey Reese said.
“We just need to get three or four hits in an inning and get our confidence back.”
Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon then had Young running on a 1-1 pitch, but Abraham Nunez couldn’t make contact and Young was thrown out easily at second. Second baseman Gookie Dawkins booted Nunez’s apparent game-ending grounder, but Reese flied out.”
“I ask my players to be aggressive, so I’ve got to be aggressive,” Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon said. “I’m trying to make something happen there, get runners on first and third with one out. But if it doesn’t work you look like an idiot, so you can write that I look like an idiot.”
The crowd of 12,795 was easily the Pirates’ smallest in 84 games at PNC Park, and followed consecutive crowds of 36,000-plus in their first two home games. Last year’s smallest turnout was 17,293 against Milwaukee on Sept. 4. Notes:@ The Reds won for the second straight night to deny the Pirates three consecutive series wins for the first time since August 1999. Pittsburgh began the season by winning two of three from the Mets and two straight from the Cubs. … Encarnacion missed a chance for a big RBI night by striking out with the bases loaded against Mike Fetters in the ninth. 2B Reese then prevented two runs with a backhanded stop of Sean Casey’s grounder that he turned into a force out. … The Reds didn’t have a stolen base one night after going 6-for-6 on steal attempts. Pirates C Jason Kendall threw out Aaron Boone in the eighth. … Young is 8-for-20 (.400) with two homers against Haynes. … Kendall struck out for the first time in 30 at-bats in the fifth. In his previous at-bat, he stopped a 0-for-20 streak with a double. … RF Brady Clark threw the ball into the stands after catching Reese’s game-ending fly ball, so Graves didn’t get it as a souvenir.