Homer Bailey allowed one run on four hits and four walks in seven innings of work. The Reds offense scored single runs in four different frames to beat Kevin Hart.
Brandon Phillips put a sandwich on the scoring with RBIs in the first and seventh innings. In between, the Reds got run scoring plays from Jonny Gomes and Joey Votto. Meanwhile, the Pirates left the bases loaded in the first and two men on in the second inning. The Pirates didn’t score until the fifth when Andrew McCutchen walked, stole second and scored on a single from Delwyn Young. That was the last time a Pirate batter would get so far as second base as Bailey got better as the game progressed and the Reds bullpen did the rest.
Hart gave up three runs on six hits in five innings. Joel Hanrahan loaded the bases and struck out the side in the 9th.
The Good
Young had two hits to go along with his RBI.
Chris Bootcheck tossed a perfect 8th inning to lower his ERA to less than 20.00.
The Bad
Getting beat by Homer Bailey, who for all the hype, has not pitched very well this year.
The Rest
This was Young’s 22nd multi-hit game of 2009.
This was Bailey’s first career appearance against the Pirates. His ERA coming into the game was 7.53.
Brandon Phillips has driven in 70 or more runs in four straight years. The last Reds second baseman to do that was Hall of Famer Joe Morgan from 1975 to 1978.
