Josh Harrison made his Princeton High School and University of Cincinnati classmates proud by lifting driving in the winning run against his home town Reds leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 12-inning 5-4 win that tied the series at a game apiece.
Harrison tripled with two outs to scuttle his hometown team's chances.
The Pittsburgh Pirates wasted little time getting on top of Homer Bailey.
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"It would be tough for a hanging slider in the first inning to beat us," Bailey said. "This start and the start before, when I go back and look on tape at the pitch execution it's pretty high. They just got us today. Sometimes they hit a ball hard right at the shortstop. Sometimes it finds a hole. I'm not a concerned as you might think. There is a little luck involved."
The Reds were at the mercy of Chad Kuhl, pronounced "cool". The Reds didn't get their first hit until Jesse Winker, the 10th batter of the game.
Bailey settled in and Kuhl continued to roll.
Bailey had to pitch out of a bases loaded jam in the fourth. Kuhl allowed singles to Eugenio Suarez and Bailey himself. Bailey's was a infield hit that third baseman Colin Moran couldn't handle.
The Pirates scored in the fifth. Harrison singled as did Cervelli one out later. Bailey struck out Josh Bell on a high heater but Corey Dickerson bounced a single into center field to score Harrison.
"The ball was coming out of Homer's hand pretty well," Jim Riggleman said. "We had an infield hit, a bloop and a ground ball that found a hole."
Bailey didn't survive the sixth.
Austin Meadows lined a single to left. Jordy Mercer blooped a single past Jose Peraza at shortstop. Kuhl was just attempting a sacrifice bunt to move runners along. The hard bunt got past a charging Suarez. By the time Bailey chased the ball down and made a slide and throw Meadows scored from second base.
"That was an unfortunate play," Riggleman said. "We had a play on where Peraza was covering second. It was in between Homer and Suarez."
Tanner Rainey, who was recalled from Louisville to replace the injured Raisel Iglesias, walked Harrison to load the bases with no outs, then pitched out of it. Rainey struck out Polanco and Cervelli before Bell bounced to the mound to end the threat.
Kuhl buckled a bit in the bottom of the sixth. Scooter Gennett, who hit a grand slam home run on Tuesday, hit his ninth home run into the bleachers in right field. It was Gennett's seventh RBI in the two-game series.
Kuhl left the game in favor of Edgar Santana after Scott Schebler opened the Reds' seventh with a single, the Reds' fifth hit of the game. Kuhl pitched six full innings, surrendering on run on five hits and one walk. He struck out six.
Santana finished the seventh, maintaining the lead. Adam Duvall hit for Rainey, who pitched two scoreless innings.
Jackson Stephens retired the Pirates in order in the eighth.
Michael Feliz started the eighth inning for the Pirates. Winker singled sharply to right, his second hit. Tucker Barnhart's line drive up the middle nailed Feliz in the thigh. It bounced half way to home plate. Cervelli was out from behind the plate but Barnhart beat his desperate throw. Joey Votto was the tying run at the plate. He flied very deep to center, allowing Winker to move up. Gennett walked to load the bases, bringing Suarez to the plate. Suarez and Gennett were tied for the team lead with 33 RBI when the game began. Suarez drove in his 34th run with a fly to left.
Felipe Vazquez, a left-hander replaced Feliz to face lefty Schebler. Alex Blandino pinch hit for Schebler. The move paid off when Blandino drove in Barnhart to make it a one-run game. Jose Peraza worked the count full, then singled to tie the score. Meadows throwing error from center put the winning run at third with two outs. Brandon Dixon was caught looking at strike three to end the inning.
Jared Hughes, who will finish some games with Iglesias on the DL, entered the game in the ninth. He turned in a scoreless inning, allowing Dickerson's third hit of the game.
Vazquez retired the Reds in order in the ninth.
Michael Lorenzen made his 2018 debut to start the 10th.
Lorenzen got two quick outs but walked Sean Rodriguez and gave up Harrison's third hit of the game. Pinch hitter David Freese grounded out to Gennett at second base.
Steven Brault sent the game to the 11th. With two outs, the Pirates walked Suarez intentionally to force the Reds to use Tony Cruz to pinch hit, the last man on the bench. Cruz flied out to shallow center.
Dylan Floro, who earned his first Major League win on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs took the mound for the 11th. Dickerson's fourth hit of the game was a two-out double but Moran flied harmlessly to right.
Peraza walked to open the 11th against Brault. Dixon got a bunt down but he was called out. Cervilli's throw hit Dixon and went down the line. Dixon was clearly inside the line and was called out for batter's interference. Billy Hamilton popped to short. Winker was hit by a pitch moving Peraza to scoring position with two out. Barnhart struck out.
"It's a bad rule but it's always been the rule," Riggleman said. "It was unfortunate and didn't go our way but they got the rule right."
Meadows doubled off Floro to open the 12th inning. Mercer bounced back to Floro, who caught Meadows off second. Rodriguez flied to right. Harrison tripled just inside the right field line.
Kyle Crick came in for the save but Joey Votto, 0-for-5 and 4-for-26 in his last eight games doubled to open the bottom of the 12th. Gennett singled. Votto stopped at third. Suarez lined to left but not deep enough to score Votto. Out of players, Floro had to bat and struck out. That left the game in the bat of Peraza. The count went full. Peraza walked to load the bases. Dixon in his second big league game came to bat. He grounded out to end the game.
"Again Suarez hit the ball hard and had nothing to show for it," Riggleman said. "It was line drive to the left fielder who was in good position to throw."
The Reds bullpen was brilliant. Everyone pitched effectively but the Pirates got the benefit of some good breaks.
"It was a great ballgame," Riggleman said. "It was a great effort by everyone involved."
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