Cincinnati 5, Pittsburgh 2
When: 4:10 PM ET, Monday, April 6, 2015
Where: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio
Temperature:
68°
Umpires:
Home -
John Hirschbeck, 1B -
Sam Holbrook, 2B -
Bill Welke, 3B -
James Hoye
Attendance:
43633
By SportsDirect Inc.
CINCINNATI -- Todd Frazier's tiebreaking, three-run home run in the eighth inning Monday lifted the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day before a regular-season-record crowd of 43,633 at Great American Ball Park.
Right fielder Jay Bruce also homered for Cincinnati.
Reds starter Johnny Cueto allowed just four hits in seven scoreless innings and fanned 10, a career high for Opening Day.
Cueto was denied the victory when Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutcheon hit a two-run, game-tying homer in the eighth off right-hander Kevin Gregg.
However, with runners on first and third in the bottom of the eighth, Frazier crushed a 1-1 pitch from Pirates left-hander Tony Watson (0-1) and sent it sailing 432 feet to left field.
Right-hander Jumbo Diaz (1-0) struck out the only batter her faced to earn the victory. Reds closer Aroldis Chapman struck out two in the ninth for the save.
Pittsburgh starter Francisco Liriano allowed two runs on just two hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings.
The game was delayed 35 minutes by rain prior to the sixth inning, but both starting pitchers appeared comfortable amid the damp conditions.
Cueto got some defensive help in the first inning when Frazier made a diving stop of McCutchen's line drive and first baseman Joey Votto stretched to scoop the throw.
Cincinnati center fielder Billy Hamilton made a diving catch of left fielder Starling Marte's line drive to end the fourth.
The Reds' first run of the season came in an unconventional manner when Hamilton scored from third on balk by Liriano.
Bruce hit a 403-foot solo shot on a 1-2 pitch from Liriano in the fourth.
It was a good sign for Bruce, who is coming off his worst offensive season.
Cueto was in line for the victory until veteran right-hander Kevin Gregg, who earned the setup role out of spring training, gave up McCutcheon's two-run blast to tie the score, setting up Frazier's heroics.
NOTES: Reds RHP Johnny Cueto recorded his 1,000th career strikeout in the third inning. ... Cincinnati RHP Homer Bailey was scheduled to pitch a simulated game on Monday at the club's spring training camp in Goodyear, Ariz. Barring a setback, Bailey is expected to make a minor league start on Sunday for either Triple-A Louisville or Double-A Pensacola. Bailey had surgery in September to repair a torn tendon in his right forearm, and he is expected to miss one or two major league starts to begin the season. ... LHP Francisco Liriano became the first Pirates pitcher to make consecutive Opening Day starts since Oliver Perez in 2005 and 2006. ... Pirates 3B Josh Harrison, a Cincinnati native, made his first career Opening Day start. ... The Reds and Pirates met on Opening Day for the 28th time, but for just the second time since 1963.
Top Game Performances
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
| Pittsburgh
|
7 |
1 |
11 |
.206 |
9 |
13 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Cincinnati
|
5 |
2 |
11 |
.172 |
8 |
8 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
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