The Reds' Back To The Wall

The Pirates got another well pitched game from A.J. Burnett to beat the Reds 4-1.

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The Reds need to win Saturday and Sunday to host the wild card game.

The Pirated took advantage of wildness by Homer Bailey in the third inning to get all the runs Pirates' starter A.J. Burnett needed.

Bailey hit Starling Marte with a two strike pitch. After Neil Walker flied out, Bailey walked Andrew McCutchen and Justin Morneau on 3-2 pitches.  Marlon Byrd, who along with Morneau is one of three veteran players the Pirates traded for late in the season, grounded a single between short and third to score two runs.

"I was all over the place," said Bailey, who walked four in his third straight game.  Bailey had walked no more than three in his previous 21 starts. "It's tough. I have to go to videos and find out how to correct it."

"Homer lost command in the strike zone that one inning," Dusty Baker said. "He was trying hard.  Sometimes that is counter productive.  He didn't have it tonight."

Todd Frazier hit his 19th home run, two outs into the fourth but Burnett shut down the Reds for the second time in a week.

"He pitched a great game against us," Baker said.  "He threw more fastballs this time."

"He (Burnett) pitched a hell of a game," Frazier.  "We needed to break the ice there.  We thought we could get another spark going.  We know what they've got.  They know what we've got.  We can't put our heads down now.  We're in the playoffs.  We have to come in here tomorrow get a win and away we go."

"You look over at the Reds.  They have Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Shin-Soo Choo and Zack Cozart.  These guys can swing the bat," Byrd said.  "They have a great approach but A.J. knew when to throw the curve, the fastball.  He knew when to throw the change up."

Pedro Alverez belted his 35th home run high off the batters' eye in centerfield one batter after Byrd hit a ball off the leftcenterfield wall that was close enough for a home run to be reviewed.

Alvarez came into the at-bat 2-for-19 against Bailey with eight strike outs.

"I was just trying to compete," Alvarez said.

The Reds have been down a lot this year.  They have been playing catch up since falling 6-1/2 games behind as late as August 7.

"This team knows how to come back," Baker said.

The know that nothing is settled.

"We have another game tomorrow.  They all count," Burnett said.  "I was locked in tonight.  It helps that I've been through it all, the good and the bad.  I used the one pitch mentality, that's what I roll with. When I throw a good pitch.  I know I have to throw another one."