The Pirates and Reds gave fans a flashback to the 1970’s as both teams slugged home runs in a back-and-forth pace reminiscent to the days of the Lumber Company and Big Red Machine. The game would be suspended after the sixth inning due to rain with the game tied at 7.
The Pirates would get home runs from Neil Walker (2), Gaby Sanchez (2), Travis Snider and Starling Marte. Walker and Sanchez went back-to-back in both the second and sixth innings while Snider and Marte did the same in the fifth.The Reds got the long ball from Todd Frazier, Ryan Ludwick and Devin Mesoraco.
The game looked like it would end after five innings with the Pirates leading 5-4, but Ludwick sent a Wandy Rodriguez pitch into the left field stands for a Reds 6-5 lead.
The umpires however, would allow the game to continue in a steady rain allowing the Pirates to go back-to-back for the third time in the game — A club record — to regain the lead.
The Bucs would come within one out of closing things out when Bryan Morris allowed Mesoraco to tie things up with a solo shot. The umpires would delay things after the inning and suspend play around 10:55 pm.
The ten combined home runs so far are a Great American Ballpark record for a single game.
The game will resume tomorrow evening at 5:30 in the top of the seventh.
Starter’s Lines
Rodriguez (ND): 5 IN, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB,2 K’s, 3 HR. 65 Pitches (48 Strikes).
Bailey (ND): 5 IN, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 9 K’s, 4 HR.
(Photo Credit: Justin K. Aller / Getty Images)
