CINCINNATI (AP) — Rookie Raisel Iglesias couldn’t make it past the third inning, ending his run of impressive starts.
Andrew McCutchen hit a three-run homer and left-hander Francisco Liriano pitched six shutout innings as he finally beat the Reds on his 11th try, leading Pittsburgh to a 7-3 victory on Tuesday night.
McCutchen connected in the third inning off Iglesias (3-7), who lasted only three innings — his shortest outing since May 24. Liriano opened the inning with a double deep to center, and Iglesias unraveled.
“They took advantage of some mistakes,” manager Bryan Price said. “It started with Liriano. He fell behind and elevated a pitch, and Liriano smoked it for a double. After that, it was off to the races. He wasn’t making the same sequence of pitches he normally makes.”
Iglesias had his streak of seven consecutive quality starts snapped, the longest such streak by a rookie in the majors this season.
“I felt like it was just a bad inning, like any other pitcher can have,” Iglesias said, with catcher Brayan Pena interpreting. “I felt like I was missing my spots. I wanted to keep it down and make them miss, and they had some good swings.”
Liriano (10-7) came into the game 0-5 in 10 regular season starts against Cincinnati, the only team he had faced but hadn’t beaten during his career. The left-hander allowed three hits, struck out 10 and didn’t allow a runner beyond second base.
He also scored the Pirates’ first run off Iglesias, making it all the way home from second on Gregory Polanco’s single.
McCutchen’s homer made it 4-0 in the third. It was his 24th career homer against the Reds, his most against any team. He also homered at Great American Ball Park during the All-Star Game in July. A balk by Iglesias let in another run later in the inning.
Jung Ho Kang doubled and hit a solo homer in the eighth. Starling Marte had three hits, including a double, and scored a run.
OUCH
Liriano hit Joey Votto in the first inning and Adam Duvall in the fourth. The Pirates have hit 35 Reds over the last three seasons, the most by any major league team against any opponent.
STREAK ENDS
Votto was hit, walked, struck out twice and grounded out, ending his hitting streak at 10 games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Hurdle will skip Gerrit Cole’s next turn in the rotation — he would have pitched Friday — to give him a break and set him up to face the Cubs, the Dodgers, the Cubs again and then the Cardinals in his last four starts of the regular season. He also would be first in line to pitch in the postseason. … C Francisco Cervelli took Todd Frazier’s foul tip off the top of his left knee in the fourth inning but stayed in the game.
Reds: CF Billy Hamilton (shoulder) and OF Brennan Boesch (ankle) were activated off the disabled list. … Duvall left the game after he was hit on the left knee. X-rays were negative. … LF Kristopher Negron made a diving catch in the seventh and left the game with a partially dislocated left shoulder.
