Rodriguez, Marte power Pirates past Reds 12-1 after delay
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Sean Rodriguez homered and drove in four runs, Starling Marte hit a grand slam and the Pittsburgh Pirates extended their winning streak to a season-high seven games with a 12-1 rout of the Cincinnati Reds after a long rain delay Friday night.
Corey Dickerson had a solo homer for the Pirates, who finished with 16 hits -- their most in a nine-inning game this year.
In the fourth, however, it was a daring cat that stole the show.
The feline appeared on the field from the first base side, scampered behind the plate to the third base side and twice almost jumped into the stands before finding an unoccupied spot on the third attempt.
The cat escaped, according to a Reds spokesman.
The start was delayed 2 hours, 55 minutes, by a thunderstorm, and rain continued intermittently throughout a game that ended a little after 1:30 a.m. But the Pirates hardly seemed to mind.
The win streak is their longest since a seven-game stretch from June 29 through July 6, 2016. Pittsburgh has won nine of 10, including a five-game sweep of Milwaukee that knocked the Brewers out of first place in the NL Central.
Jameson Taillon, who threw a one-hit shutout against the Reds on April 8, allowed six hits and a run with six strikeouts and one walk in 5 1/3 innings. Taillon (7-7) also drove in a run with a safety squeeze.
Rodriguez, who had been sidelined since June 25 with a right quadriceps strain, drove in Colin Moran from second with a single in the fourth to snap an 0-for-17 skid. Rodriguez added his drive into the left-field seats in the sixth on the first pitch after Cincinnati pitching coach Danny Darwin visited Tyler Mahle on the mound.
Marte's eighth-inning slam was the second of his career.
Mahle (7-8) set a career high by allowing six earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. Pittsburgh reached him for eight hits and three walks.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Pirates: 2B Josh Harrison worked out in the outfield before the game but wasn't in the starting lineup after leaving Sunday's game with left hamstring discomfort.
Reds: 2B Alex Blandino, just inserted into the game in the ninth, had to be helped off with an apparent right knee injury after colliding with Max Moroff while turning a double play.
UP NEXT
Pirates: Rookie RHP Nick Kingham (4-4) is 0-3 in his last three road starts.
Reds: RHP Anthony DeSclafani (4-2) allowed five hits and six runs in 3 1/3 innings during his last start Sunday in St. Louis.
