Reds drop extra-inning slugfest to Pirates

CINCINNATI — Sean Rodriguez, Francisco Cervelli and Jordy Mercer were a combined 0-for-12 after nine innings Friday night. But the bottom of the Pirates’ lineup pulled it together in extras, engineering a 10th-inning rally and leading the Bucs to a 9-7 win over the Reds at Great American Ball Park.

Jung Ho Kang’s two-run homer in the seventh sent the back-and-forth affair into extra innings. And it was Kang who started Pittsburgh’s rally in the 10th, reaching base for the fifth time when he drew his second walk off Reds lefty Tony Cingrani. Rodriguez followed with a single, then Cervelli dropped a perfect bunt and hustled down the line to load the bases. Up came Mercer, who swatted a single through the drawn-in infield and into left, bringing home pinch-runner Pedro Florimon for the go-ahead run.

David Freese extended the Pirates’ lead with a two-run single up the middle, and the insurance runs proved to be valuable as Reds right fielder Steve Selsky clubbed his first career homer off Pirates closer Tony Watson in the bottom of the 10th.

The Pirates and Reds traded runs in the early innings. Pittsburgh took a 3-0 lead in the first, but Cincinnati evened the score on Ramon Cabrera’s second-inning homer. The Bucs pulled back ahead …

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