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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Pirates must be wondering why
they didn't do this back when they still had something to play for
this season.
Jason Kendall doubled in two runs and Alex Hernandez hit his
first major league homer as the Pirates won their seventh in a row,
beating the Cincinnati Reds 7-3 Friday night in the first game of a
doubleheader.
The Pirates had lost 31 of 46 and were 26 games below .500 with
the majors' worst record until starting their longest winning
streak since winning seven in a row in from May 28-June 4, 1999.
In the second game, Alex Ramirez's two-run triple broke up a scoreless game in the
sixth inning and the Pirates ran their winning streak to eight,
beating the Reds 3-1 to sweep the doubleheader.
Todd Ritchie (8-7), one of the majors' best pitchers last
September with a 3-1 record and 2.93 ERA, won his second in a row
this month despite allowing Sean Casey's two-run homer. Ritchie
gave up three runs and five hits in six innings, leaving after
throwing 117 pitches.
"It was just like we've been doing, with the starting pitching
taking us into the seventh or eighth," manager Gene Lamont said.
"We made some plays behind him and we had some more timely hitting
... which we haven't done consistently."
Kendall was in a 5-for-23 slump before getting hits in his first
three at-bats, including run-scoring doubles in the third and
fourth. The double in the fourth followed Hernandez's leadoff homer
to center that put the Pirates back in front, 3-2.
Hernandez has four RBI in seven games since joining the Pirates
and, Lamont said, "He's not intimidated at all. This was his first
season in Triple-A, but he's not feeling his way up here at all."
The Reds had tied it at 2 in the top of the fourth on Ken
Griffey Jr.'s leadoff single and Casey's 13th homer. Casey grew up
in suburban Pittsburgh and his drive to center was greeted by more
than a few cheers from what then was a small crowd.
Casey also tripled with one out in the eighth and Pittsburgh up
4-3, but reliever Scott Sauerbeck got Dmitri Young on a grounder
and pinch-hitter Mike Bell to pop up. The Pirates then scored three
runs against reliever John Riedling on Adrian Brown's double and
John Vander Wal's two-run double.
"We didn't have many chances, and when we did, we couldn't cash
them in, like leaving Casey at third," Reds manager Jack McKeon
said.
The Pirates, who had lost seven of eight before sweeping a
six-game California road trip, took a 1-0 lead in the second on a
walk, left fielder Dmitri Young's error on Warren Morris' single
and Scott Williamson's major league-leading 21st wild pitch.
Williamson (5-8), making his first since Aug. 23 because of
lower back spasms, pitched 3 2-3 innings, yielding four runs --
three earned -- and six hits while walking four. He lasted seven
innings in each of his previous three starts before going on the
disabled list.
"He wasn't sharp. He was just throwing the ball." McKeon said.
The Pirates' first two runs resulted from walks by Williamson.
Brown walked leading off the fourth and scored on the first of
Kendall's two doubles.
Notes: The doubleheader was the first between the teams in Three
Rivers Stadium since Aug. 22, 1975, when both were in first place.
They would go on to meet in the NL championship series, with the
Reds winning. ... The Pirates are 7-0 this month. They have not had
a winning September since 1992, when they last won a division
title. ... The doubleheader is the Reds' first of the season. ...
The Reds lost for the fifth time in 15 games.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Cincinnati Clubhouse
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
Reds' Larkin, Taubensee undergo surgery
RECAPS
NY Yankees 4
Boston 0
Chi. White Sox 5
Cleveland 4
Toronto 3
Detroit 0
Texas 6
Kansas City 5
Anaheim 2
Baltimore 1
Tampa Bay 4
Oakland 0
Minnesota 4
Seattle 2
Houston 13
Chicago Cubs 10
Cincinnati 0
Pittsburgh 0
Pittsburgh 3
Cincinnati 1
(2nd game)
Arizona 2
Florida 1
Philadelphia 2
NY Mets 0
Atlanta 3
Montreal 2
Milwaukee 6
St. Louis 5
Colorado 8
Los Angeles 5
San Diego 10
San Francisco 7
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