Oneil Cruz hits first career homer but Pirates lose season finale to Reds

The Pittsburgh Pirates played their finale on a day as dreary as their season, and watched their prospects of finally clinching a series sweep slip away in the same inning their manager was ejected.

Derek Shelton was tossed for arguing an overturned call, so he wasn’t in the dugout to watch the Cincinnati Reds score four runs in the fifth inning on their way to a 6-3 win over the Pirates on an overcast Sunday afternoon before an announced crowd of 13,011 at PNC Park.

The Pirates (61-101) finished in last place in the NL Central for the third consecutive season, and with the fourth-worst record in baseball behind Arizona and Baltimore (both 52-110) and Texas (60-102). The Pirates also own the dubious distinction of being the only team in baseball that failed to sweep a series this season after missing on 16 chances to clinch one.

Shelton said the plan is to change that culture, with a focus on the future.

“We’re gonna accentuate and focus on the positives and focus on things we feel we need to get better at,” Shelton said. “I really don’t think, at any point, there’s any sense dwelling on the negative.”

Shelton watched on television as top prospect Oneil Cruz hit his first career home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth, providing an exciting finish to the finale. The 6-foot-7 shortstop nearly dropped to one knee to swing at an ankles-high 0-2 changeup by Reds closer Mychal Givens for a two-run blast.

“The ball damn near bounced and he hit it 408 feet,” Shelton said. “This kid’s got some severe leverage and talent. It’s really nice to get a chance to look at him for two days.”

After an exciting 8-6 win on Saturday night featured Cruz’s major league debut and a four-hit performance by Bryan Reynolds, the Pirates were punchless. With Reynolds hitting over .300, Shelton chose not to start his All-Star center fielder. Reynolds flew out on a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth, dropping his average to .302.

Where the Reds (83-79) leaned on left-hander Reiver Sanmartin (2-0), who allowed one run on seven hits and one walk with six strikeouts in six innings, the Pirates pulled Mitch Keller after allowing one run on three hits and one walk with three strikeouts on 53 pitches in three innings.

“It felt really good, just going out there and trying to pound the zone, have some fun with it on the last day of the year,” Keller said. “Just have a good outing going into the offseason and taking that with some confidence going into the offseason.”

The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the first, when Kevin Newman led off with a single to center, advanced to third on Yoshi Tsutsugo’s double to right and scored when Anthony Alford drew a one-out, bases-loaded walk.

The Reds tied it in the third, when Jonathan India doubled to left-center and scored on a Nick Castellanos double to right field.

Cody Ponce (0-6) replaced Keller but was roughed up by the Reds for four runs on five hits in a fifth inning that saw Shelton get tossed. After initially being called out for missing second base while sliding on Max Schrock’s double, India was ruled safe following a two-minute, eight-second review.

Shelton was ejected by first base umpire Manny Gonzalez for arguing the overturned call, and things only got worse from there. It marked Shelton’s third ejection this season and fifth in two years as Pirates manager, who had a matter-of-fact explanation for voicing his displeasure with the explanation he received from the umpires.

“When India slid, he got on the negative side of the bag, the right-field side of the bag, so we appealed it,” Shelton said. “The way we interpret it is, once you’re on the negative side of the bag you have to retouch. We asked, then the umpire saw it the same way we did and called him out, and it went to replay. You cannot argue replay, but you can ask for an explanation. I asked for the explanation, didn’t really like it. And because you can’t argue replay, I got ejected, which is the way the rule stands.”

The Reds scored on an Aristides Aquino RBI single and Joey Votto’s three-run home run to right field for a 5-1 lead. before lefty Sam Howard replaced Ponce with one out and the bases loaded. Howard got TJ Friedl to pop out to first baseman Colin Moran in foul territory, then struck out pitcher Sanmartin to escape the jam.

Aquino drove Anthony Banda’s 3-0 fastball 400 feet into the center field seats for his 10th home run and a 6-1 Reds lead in the sixth.

The Reds retired 11 consecutive batters before Ben Gamel hit a line drive to left for a single, setting the stage for Cruz to crush an 0-2 changeup to cut it to 6-3. After Michael Perez was called out on strikes, Reynolds pinch hit for reliever Shea Spitzbarth but flew out to left field.

“It feels great. It’s actually very exciting,” said Cruz, who hit 14 homers at Double-A Altoona and five in six games at Triple-A Indianapolis. “It’s something that I’ve been working very hard for, and to get that No. 20 right here in the last game and here in the big leagues, that’s a big deal for me, and I’m very grateful.”

Shelton pointed to the excitement of Cruz’s two-game stint, Keller’s strong start, Reynolds batting .300 and the improved play of the defense as positives for the Pirates heading into the offseason.

Getting his first taste of the majors was as exciting for Cruz as it was for his teammates to get their first glimpse of their top prospect, who hopes to be a catalyst in turning the Pirates from a 100-loss team into a winner.

“I hope that players like myself do bring hope to this community, this city and organization,” Cruz said. “But, in all reality, I just want to win. I’m up here, and I want to help this organization win. I dream about being a champion, even if it’s just for one year, but I want to be a champion.”