CINCINNATI _ The saying goes, "Solo home runs don't beat you." Chad Kuhl found it a falsity Friday when the Cincinnati Reds pounded four solo homers off him in the first five innings. They needed no further firepower in a 4-2 series-opening win at Great American Ball Park.
The Pirates (68-80) collected seven hits and fell for the eighth time in their past nine games. They are 6-11 this season against the last-place Reds (64-84).
Kuhl, a right-hander who had a resurgence in the second half this season, was charged with four runs in 4 2/3 innings Friday. Among the eight hits against him were a double and four home runs _ a career-high allowed by Kuhl. He struck out six and walked three. There was heavy traffic in his five innings, but the only damage done was the solo shots.
Kuhl, who threw 101 pitches, was the first Pirates starter to surrender four home runs since right-hander Edinson Volquez did it May 17, 2014, against the New York Yankees.
Before Joey Votto stepped to the plate in the first inning, only one qualified National League starter, the Washington Nationals' Stephen Strasburg, had a lower home run rate this season than Kuhl, who was averaging 0.79 home runs per nine innings. Kuhl allowed 13 home runs in his first 29 starts and served up multiple homers only once, May 26 against the New York Mets.
On the first delivery from Kuhl to Votto Friday, the Reds first baseman pulverized a 96 mph fastball left over the plate, sending it to the seats in right-center field. Votto's 35th home run this season marked only the second time in Kuhl's past 22 starts he allowed a first-inning run.
Jordan Luplow tied the game with a third-inning sacrifice fly, scoring Elias Diaz who had doubled and advanced on Kuhl's single, but the Reds slugged again their way in front.
Zack Cozart hammered his 21st homer in the third inning, and his 22nd in the fifth. Three batters later, Scott Schebler lifted a towering fly ball to right field on a first-pitch changeup. Gregory Polanco drifted to the warning track, to the wall, but watched the baseball fly over the wall. After Adam Duvall singled, manager Clint Hurdle motioned for relief, pulling Kuhl.
Both sides squandered bases-loaded opportunities in the sixth. Reds starter Homer Bailey was yanked after a walk, a double _ David Freese's 900th career hit and his second hit Friday _ and a hit by pitch. Diaz batted against reliever Michael Lorenzen and bounced out to first base.
Bailey gave up only one run and struck out seven over 5 2/3 innings, with five hits and two walks. His outing started with a 14-pitch at-bat by Adam Frazier, which ended in a line drive to right field, but Bailey worked efficiently and effortlessly for much of the remainder of the night.
In the home half of the sixth, a double and two walks, one intentional, against Edgar Santana loaded the bases for Eugenio Suarez. After missing with a fastball, Santana threw three consecutive sliders, his put-away pitch, and got three strikes _ one looking and two swinging. The whiff was Suarez's fourth strikeout through four at-bats in the series opener.
In the eighth, after Lorenzen walked Luplow and Josh Bell hit a single, Reds manager Bryan Price called on closer Raisel Iglesias for a five-out save. With the tying run at the plate, Iglesias struck out Freese and Gregory Polanco back to back.
In the ninth, Frazier put together another long at-bat, this one eight pitches, and poked an RBI triple the other way.
