Marte hits 3 doubles and Martinez pitches Reds past Pirates 2-1 to stop 3-game skid

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nick Martinez pitched seven sharp innings and Noelvi Marte doubled three times as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 on Saturday night to snap a three-game slide.

Marte drove in one run and scored another. Martinez (10-9) permitted a run on four hits and two walks while striking out four.

Emilio Pagán earned his 25th save. He gave up a leadoff walk in the ninth but shortstop Elly De La Cruz converted a line drive into a game-ending double play.

Marte knocked in Spencer Steer from first base with a double in the fourth to tie it 1-all. Marte doubled again in the seventh and scored on TJ Friedl’s sacrifice fly. He added his third double in the ninth to set a career high.

Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead in the third when Jared Triolo doubled and scored on Tommy Pham’s sacrifice fly.

Spencer Horwitz had two of the Pirates’ four hits.

Carmen Mlodzinski (2-7), the second of five pitchers in a bullpen game, took the loss.

Key moment

Marte’s first double was just fair and it rolled into the left-field corner before Pham could corral the ball, enabling Steer to score from first.

Key stat

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The Reds have scored two runs or fewer in 40 games this season, including each of their last four.

Up next

The four-game series concludes Sunday with Reds RHP Zack Littell (9-8, 3.46 ERA) pitching against RHP Mike Burrows (1-4, 4.45).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb