Cozart goes deep twice as Reds top Pirates

CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 15: Zack Cozart #2 of the Cincinnati Reds rounds second base after hitting his second home run of the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at Great American Ball Park on September 15, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati defeated Pittsburgh 4-2. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 15: Zack Cozart #2 of the Cincinnati Reds rounds second base after hitting his second home run of the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at Great American Ball Park on September 15, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati defeated Pittsburgh 4-2. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

Zack Cozart hit two of Cincinnati’s four solo home runs and the Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 on Friday night.

Joey Votto and Scott Schebler both homered, sending the Pirates to their third straight loss and eighth in the last nine games.

Chad Kuhl gave up all four home runs, a single-game career high for the second-year right-hander. He previously hadn’t allowed more than two in any game and yielded only four over a combined 12 starts in July and August.

The Reds reached Kuhl (7-11) for eight hits with three walks and six strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

Homer Bailey allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings for his first win in six starts since Aug. 11. Bailey (5-8) gave up five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. He also hit a batter.

Michael Lorenzen came in to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth and allowed a hit and a walk with two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. Raisel Iglesias allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings on Adam Frazier’s ninth-inning, two-out triple, before getting Jordan Luplow to line out to left field for his 27th save.

Cozart went into the game with a career-high 20 home runs and added two in consecutive at-bats in the third, snapping a 1-1 tie, and fifth innings.

Votto gave the Reds a 1-0 lead in the first inning with his 35th of the season. Schebler added his 27th with two outs in the fifth.

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Pirates: RHP Ivan Nova (11-13) is 0-3 with a 6.35 ERA in three starts this season against Cincinnati and 0-7 in his last seven road starts.

Reds: RHP Sal Romano (4-6) is 0-2 with a combined 3.86 ERA in two starts this season against Pittsburgh.

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