Joey Votto’s three-run homer Sunday paced the visiting Cincinnati Reds to a 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates to conclude the season.
Aristides Aquino added a solo homer and an RBI single and Nick Castellanos an RBI double for the Reds (83-79).
Cincinnati’s Reiver Sanmartin (2-0) — in his second-major league start, both in less than a week and both against Pittsburgh — pitched six innings. He allowed one run and seven hits, with six strikeouts and one walk, the latter coming with the bases loaded for the run he yielded.
Oneil Cruz homered for the Pirates (61-101), who won the first two games of the series and finished as the only team in the majors without a sweep of an opponent.
Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller gave up one run and three hits in three innings, with one walk and three strikeouts.
Cody Ponce (0-6) got rocked for four runs and six hits in 1 1/3 innings.
The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the first. They loaded the bases on Kevin Newman’s single to center, Yoshi Tsutsugo’s double to right, and Michael Chavis’ infield hit that needed a challenge to stand. After Colin Moran struck out, Anthony Alford walked to force in a run.
Cincinnati tied it in the third. Jonathan India doubled to left and went to third on Max Schrock’s groundout. Castellanos doubled off the wall in right, driving in India for his 100th RBI.
Against Ponce in the fifth, India got hit by a pitch and went to third on Schrock’s double to right. After an appeal and challenge over India’s baserunning at second base, Pirates manager Derek Shelton got ejected.
Aquino followed with a single to left to bring home India for a 2-1 Reds lead. Votto followed with a three-run homer, his 36th of the season, to right field for a 5-1 lead. Votto finished the year with 99 RBIs.
Aquino hit his 10th homer, to right-center, to increase the lead to 6-1.
In the ninth, Cruz hit a two-run homer, the first home run of his major league career, to complete the scoring.
–Field Level Media
