Davis homers twice, Keller works 7 strong innings as the Pirates beat Central-leading Reds 9-1

PITTSBURGH — Henry Davis hit his first two home runs of the season, Mitch Keller pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Cincinnati Reds 9-1 on Friday night to end a five-game losing streak.

Davis homered in consecutive innings. He hit a solo shot to center field in the fourth that pushed the Pirates’ lead to 4-0 and connected on a two-run drive to left field that capped a four-run fifth and made it 8-0.

It was the second career two-homer game for Davis, who also scored three runs after entering the game with a .154 batting average.

Keller (3-1) allowed one run, struck out six and walked one. His 104 pitches were the most thrown by a Pirates pitcher this season.

Bryan Reynolds and Marcell Ozuna also homered for Pittsburgh as the Pirates sent the NL Central-leading Reds to their fifth loss in 16 games. Reynolds hit a 443-foot solo shot to the shrubbery in center field in the first inning to open the scoring, and Ozuna had a two-run blast in the fifth.

Brady Singer (2-2) allowed four runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings while walking two and striking out one.

The Pirates’ Nick Gonzales went 3 for 3 with a walk. Reynolds, who also tripled, and Ryan O’Hearn had two hits each.

The Reds broke up Keller’s shutout bid in the sixth inning when TJ Friedl doubled and scored on Elly De La Cruz’s groundout. Friedl had two of his team’s three hits.

Justin Lawrence and Evan Sisk finished with one perfect inning each.

The start of the game was delayed by 1 hour, 31 minutes due to rain.

Up next

Reds RHP Rhett Lowder (3-1, 3.18 ERA) faces Pirates RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (1-2, 4.13) on Saturday.