Pirates take lead, keep it this time
CINCINNATI (AP) – Craig Wilson and Jimmy Anderson pried first place out of the Cincinnati Reds’ desperate grasp. Wilson homered for the third straight game and Anderson pitched a five-hitter Sunday, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-1 victory that ended the Reds’ long stay alone on top of the NL Central.
After rallying to win the first two games of the series and hold off St. Louis, the Reds slipped into a first-place tie when the Cardinals beat Kansas City 5-1 later in the afternoon.
The Reds had been in first place all by themselves since April 26, a span of 51 days that had become a point of pride in the clubhouse. It stung to see it finally slip away.
“It’s always great to be in first place,” said Jimmy Haynes (7-6), who gave up two homers. “It always gives you a little confidence. We’ve been in a little skid lately. We need to turn it around.”
The Pirates also have been struggling, losing three in a row before salvaging the final game.
Wilson had a three-run homer and a run-scoring single, matching his career high with four RBIs, and Kevin Young added a solo homer as the Ohio River rivals finished with one more long-ball binge. There were 11 homers in the three games, accounting for 16 of the 20 runs.
The Reds hit five of the homers – all off the Pirates’ bullpen – as they won the first two games with big-swing comebacks and extended their stay in first place.
They couldn’t do anything against Anderson (6-8), who held them to four singles, a double and five walks during his third career complete game. He induced three double plays and 15 ground-ball outs.
Anderson lost his shutout after Austin Kearns doubled to open the ninth and came around on grounders by Casey and Aaron Boone, leaving him without a shutout in 78 career starts.
“It would have been good,” said Anderson, who threw 100 pitches. “I was kind of mad when the guy was running in from third base, but I still had to get an out.”
Two of his complete games have come against the Reds. He gave up two runs as he went the distance against them in Pittsburgh on Sept. 8.
Ken Griffey Jr. was out of the Reds’ lineup for the eighth straight game since straining his right hamstring. He pinch hit in the fifth and flied out.
The Reds are hoping to get Griffey back in the lineup during a three-game series against his former Seattle teammates beginning Tuesday at Cinergy Field.
He has been limited to four pinch-hit appearances since hurting the hamstring.
Wilson led the Pirates during the weekend series, going 7-for-12 while driving in eight of their 11 runs.
“I’ve been in the batting cages working, and I finally got my swing back to where it was before,” said Wilson, who has raised his average from .209 to a season-high .322 in the last 18 games.
He doubled his homer total during the series, hitting a two-run shot, a solo shot and the three-run homer in the fourth inning Sunday off Haynes. Wilson had only three homers in 50 games before the series.
He became the first Pirate to homer in three games since Brian Giles did it in August 2000.
Young followed Wilson’s two-out homer in the fourth with one of his own, his first hit of the series.