Reds nip Pirates to pull within half-game of 3rd NL wild card

Nick Lodolo tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings while Noelvi Marte made a game-saving catch in the ninth as the Cincinnati Reds salvaged the series finale against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-1, on Thursday afternoon.

Gavin Lux, Ke'Bryan Hayes, TJ Friedl and Miguel Andujar each had two hits as the Reds (81-78) moved within a half-game of the New York Mets for the National League's third and final wild-card spot. The Mets play the Chicago Cubs on Thursday night. The Arizona Diamondbacks lost 8-0 Thursday afternoon to the Los Angeles Dodgers to fall one game behind the Reds.

Emilio Pagan pitched a scoreless ninth for his 30th save in 36 chances. Marte robbed Bryan Reynolds of a game-tying homer to right when he leaped at the wall to collect the second out of the ninth. Marte, who also drove in a run, handled all three chances in the ninth to seal the victory.

Pinch hitter Spencer Horwitz doubled and scored in the eighth against Tony Santillan to cut Cincinnati's lead to 2-1. Horwitz was 5-for-10 in the series for the Pirates, who had their four-game win streak snapped.

Lodolo (9-8) was in command for the Reds from the start. He allowed only a two-out single to Reynolds in the first, a leadoff single to Tommy Pham in the second and a leadoff walk to Nick Yorke in the sixth while tying his career high with 12 strikeouts.

Between the Pham single and the Yorke walk, the Cincinnati left-hander retired 12 straight and set down 16 of the final 17 he faced. After striking out Andrew McCutchen to open the seventh, Lodolo left with trainer Tomas Vera as a precaution with a right groin injury.

Hayes snapped a career-worst 0-for-25 drought with a leadoff single in the third. Friedl followed with a walk against Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft (4-4). But as happened so often throughout the series, the Reds wasted a scoring chance as Marte and Lux struck out and Spencer Steer grounded out.

The Reds broke through in the fifth when Hayes opened with another single. Friedl followed with a double to center, initially scoring Hayes from first. But the Pirates challenged, and replay overturned the safe call. Marte followed with an RBI single to center, scoring Friedl and giving the Reds their first lead of the series. Lux then singled home Marte for the 2-0 lead.

Ashcraft was charged with two runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. He fanned five and walked one.

--Field Level Media