Pirates' division hopes dwindle with loss to Reds
Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014, 5:06 p.m. Updated less than a minute ago
CINCINNATI - The Pirates' slim chance of winning the National League Central took a potentially fatal blow Saturday when Ramon Santiago's grand slam lifted the Cincinnati Reds to a 10-6 victory in 10 innings.
Todd Frazier began the winning rally by drawing a walk off reliever John Axford. Frazier went to second on Chris Heisey's one-out single. Ryan Ludwick walked.
Bobby LaFromboise replaced Axford. With two outs, Santiago launched a 1-0 sinker over the left-field wall for his first career grand slam.
The Pirates had a two-run lead in the seventh, but John Holdzkom yielded Frazier's game-tying home run.
The loss dropped the Pirates 1 1⁄ 2 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the NL Central lead. With a magic number of one to clinch the division, the Cardinals were scheduled to play at the Arizona Diamondbacks late Saturday night.
The Pirates already have clinched at least a wild-card berth. If the Pirates and Cardinals end the season with identical records, there will be a tiebreaker game Monday in St. Louis.
The NL Central champion will play the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Division Series, starting Friday at Dodger Stadium.
If the Pirates end up with a wild-card berth, they will play the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night at PNC Park. The wild-card winner will face the Washington Nationals in a best-of-five Division Series starting Friday at Nationals Park.
Saturday was left-hander Francisco Liriano's final tuneup before the playoffs - whenever and wherever that might be.
Liriano worked five innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and five walks. He struck out five.
The Reds were closer to full strength than they were Friday when several of their regulars were out. Catcher Devin Mesoraco (sore ribs), closer Aroldis Chapman (sore arm) and Frazier (day off) were back in the lineup, although center fielder/Rookie of the Year candidate Billy Hamilton (concussion) remained out.
Before Friday's game, Reds manager Bryan Pryce contacted the Cardinals' Mike Matheny to explain the missing starters. Pirates skipper Clint Hurdle said that's a common practice among managers.
'I've gotten calls and I've given calls like that before,' Hurdle said. 'You do what's right professionally. I want (the other manager) to hear from me why they're out.'
Frazier and Mesoraco figured in the Reds' three-run first inning. Mesoraco hit a two-run single, and Frazier walked and scored..
The Pirates scored a run in the second off right-hander Alfredo Simon. Starling Marte doubled and scored on Jordy Mercer's grounder.
Mercer clubbed a 424-foot homer to open the fifth. The ball landed halfway up the second deck in left field.
Liriano singled. Josh Harrison doubled off the top of the right-field wall. With two outs, Simon worked carefully and walked Andrew McCutchen to load the bases. Neil Walker blooped a single into center field, scoring Liriano and Harrison to give the Pirates a 4-3 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Frazier drew a five-pitch, leadoff walk - Liriano's fifth free pass of the game. Frazier moved to third on a grounder and a wild pitch, then scored on Ryan Ludwick's two-out single to tie it.
Each team scored two runs in the seventh. The Pirates got an RBI single by McCutchen and an RBI triple by Walker. Holdzkom served up a two-run homer by Frazier, the first runs allowed by Holdzkom in nine outings since being called up.
Rob Biertempfel is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at rbiertempfel@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BiertempfelTrib.
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