| Advertisement |
PITTSBURGH -- In a game difficult to track as it swung back and forth, it was just as challenging to pick out a definitive hero. Two stood out, however. Scott Schebler drove in the winning run in the 11th with a one-out double, and Tim Adleman pitched three-hit ball over six-plus innings in his major league debut Sunday to help the Cincinnati Reds break out of a six-game losing streak with a 6-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Advertisement
Schebler also drove in what was a go-ahead run in the ninth. Both big hits came off of Pirates reliever Ryan Voglesong (1-1).
"I've been kind of struggling in the plate, but my at-bats have kind of gotten better," said Schebler, who entered the game in the eighth on a double-switch. "Opportunity presented itself, and I just happened to put a good swing on two balls today. It's a relief. Most of all, we won."
Adleman, 28, allowed two runs on three hits -- Gregory Polanco's homer and single, and an infield single by Starling Marte in the seventh, the final batter Adleman faced. He walked two and struck out six. He also got on base in his first major league at-bat, reaching on an error with one out in the third. But he was the lead runner in a double play.
"It was great. It was a dream come true," said Adleman, who managed to get a group of 26 family and friends in town for the game and took them a stack of souvenirs from the game afterward.
"I just wanted to go out there and try to slow things down, make pitches and give the team a chance to win. Fortunately, I was able to do that."
Although he didn't get a decision -- the win went to Blake Wood (3-0) -- he made the most of his first game in the major leagues.
"Awesome. He threw the crap out of it today. That was fun to watch," Schebler said of Adleman.
Relief after ending the losing streak permeated the Reds clubhouse.
"Some really good things happened ... so many good things. It starts with Tim Adleman coming in there and giving us six-plus innings of really good, commanding, well-pitched baseball, which we really needed," manager Bryan Price said.
The loss not only prevented the Pirates from completing a weekend sweep, but it also ended Pittsburgh's six-game winning streak.
Polanco was 2-for-3 with two walks. Sean Rodriguez and pinch-hitter Matt Joyce each drove in a Pirates run in the seventh, Marte drove in a tying run in the eighth, and John Jaso forged another tie, 5-5, with a home run in the ninth.
Joey Votto drove in one run and Jay Bruce two more in a three-run Reds sixth inning. Zack Cozart scored Cincinnati's fourth run in the eighth and Schebler's double in the ninth gave the Reds a short-lived 5-4 lead.
Polanco, the leadoff batter in the Pittsburgh fifth, crushed a 1-1 pitch an estimated 419 feet over the right-field stands, off of a small embankment and into the Allegheny River for his third home run of the season and a 1-0 Pirates lead.
"It was a good swing, and I didn't miss it. That's the first thing," Polanco said. "Right away... I didn't know it was going to go that far, but I know I got that one."
It was the 39th homer hit into the river at PNC Park history (by 26 players) and the first such feat for Polanco.
Up to that point, the only hit off of Adleman had been Polanco's one-out single in the second, but Polanco tried to stretch it to a double and was thrown out.
In the top of the sixth, Votto drove in Cozart, and Bruce gave Cincinnati a 3-1 lead with a two-out, bases-loaded double. Brandon Phillips was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
Adleman was replaced by Tony Cingrani after giving up an infield single to Marte to lead off the Pirates seventh. An out later, Sean Rodriguez tripled off the left-field wall, driving in Marte to make it 3-1. Reds left fielder Adam Duvall got shaken up trying to make a diving catch but remained in the game.
Pittsburgh tied it 3-3 later in the seventh on Joyce's bloop single to shallow center field.
Cozart gave Cincinnati a 4-3 lead in the eighth. He broke for home after Votto was caught in a rundown trying to steal second. Cozart would have been out but Pirates catcher Chris Stewart bobbled the ball. Officially, Cozart was caught stealing and Stewart was charged with an error.
"I watched it. I did everything you're supposed to do," Stewart said. "I don't know; unfortunately one of those freak plays that happen in baseball. It came at a terrible time. Big play in the game, and unfortunately it happened."
Marte's one-out single to left brought home Andrew McCutchen in the eighth for a 4-4 tie.
Schebler hit an RBI double to left field in the ninth inning to restore the Reds' lead, 5-4, but Pirates Jaso tied it again, 5-5, with a home run to right field in the bottom of the ninth. Schebler's winner brought home Eugenio Suarez.
NOTES: Reds manager Bryan Price said RHP Homer Bailey (Tommy John surgery) had a small setback and his rehab assignment is on hold. ... RHP Raisel Iglesias (right shoulder impingement), who was originally scheduled to start for the Reds Sunday, was placed on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Tuesday. ... Cincinnati moved C Kyle Skipworth (ankle) to the 60-day DL. ... It was thought that C Devin Mesoraco (sore left shoulder) might return Sunday, but instead he was out of the Reds starting lineup for the whole series. ... Pittsburgh gave 3B David Freese a day off, with Sean Rodriguez starting at third. ... C Francisco Cervelli also started the game on the bench, with Chris Stewart getting the start to catch LHP Jeff Locke.
