Pirates rally from 5-run hole, David Bednar hangs on in 9th in win over Reds

The Pittsburgh Pirates were in an unfavorable spot after four innings Friday at PNC Park, trailing by five runs to the Cincinnati Reds.

Bailey Falter had been roughed up, and offensively, the Pirates were having little luck against Cincinnati’s relievers with the Reds pitching a bullpen game.

But a major rally took place in the fifth and sixth innings, during which the Pirates scored six runs, enough to lift them to a 6-5 victory in front of 19,941 fans.

The win was the Pirates’ first in a one-run game dating to July 28. It snapped a nine-game losing streak in games decided by a run.

David Bednar survived a shaky ninth to record his 23rd save of the year, and five Pirates (61-67) players collected RBIs.

“Bullpen games are scary because of the fact that if they line up in the right matchups, (we can’t) get really good matchups,” manager Derek Shelton said. “I think the thing was getting into a situation where we got the right matchups we wanted. Through the first four innings, they executed and we weren’t able to break through.”

Three of the Pirates’ runs did not come via hits.

Billy McKinney and Isiah Kiner-Falefa had RBI groundouts in the fifth, and Bryan De La Cruz hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

Quality at-bats that resulted in runners advancing bases was key for the Pirates, who went 3 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

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“We had productive outs,” Shelton said. “We moved the ball forward. We put the ball in play. We got guys over. We got guys in. And I think when you’re down five you have to make sure you continue to build that, and then when you get a big hit it kind of highlights it.”

Falter (6-7, 4.25 ERA) took a no-decision, allowing five runs on six hits over five innings, striking out four with two walks.

The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the first when Tyler Stephenson hit a solo homer and got to Falter in the fourth, when they scored four more.

Stephenson singled, followed by a Spencer Steer double.

Ty France then made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly before Stuart Fairchild put Cincinnati up 3-0 with a perfectly executed squeeze play to score Steer.

After Amed Rosario singled and stole second, with Fairchild on third, Santiago Espinal plated them both on a single to give the Reds a 5-0 lead.

Falter lasted one more inning before Dennis Santana (3-1, 4.97 ERA), Friday’s winning pitcher, took over on the hill.

“I’ve just got to find a way to limit big innings,” Falter said. “That’s kind of been my kryptonite this year, just allowing a lot of runs in one inning. But if you just take away the fourth inning — pretty good day.

“(The Reds) had me on the ropes a little bit, a lot of moving parts, the game sped up on me a little bit, too, so just got to be better in those situations.”

After the fourth, it was all Pirates in terms of offensive production.

The Pirates responded in the fifth inning with a four-run frame of their own.

With Alan Busenitz pitching, Joey Bart and Rowdy Tellez singled before De La Cruz got the Pirates on the board courtesy of an RBI double.

McKinney then made it 5-2 with a productive groundout before Jared Triolo collected an RBI single.

Following a fielding error by France, Kiner-Falefa made the Reds pay, trimming the Pirates’ deficit to 5-4 with another RBI groundout.

In the sixth, the Reds turned to Justin Wilson, who allowed two runs on three hits, taking the loss.

Oneil Cruz led off with a ground-rule double and was scored by Bart, tying the score 5-5.

Tellez then got aboard with a single with De La Cruz scoring Bart on a sacrifice fly, putting the Pirates up 6-5.

De La Cruz, who’s on a hot streak, batting .351 (13 for 37) in 10 games dating to Aug. 12, also has eight RBIs in his last six games.

After Falter’s departure, the Pirates bullpen came through.

Dennis Santana delivered scoreless frames in the sixth and seventh before Aroldis Chapman preserved the lead in the ninth.

Shelton went with Bednar, who has three losses and two blown saves this month, to shut the door in the ninth.

Bednar allowed a leadoff double to Will Benson and walked Jonathan India, bringing Elly De La Cruz to the plate with two outs and runners on the corner.

De La Cruz swung at Bednar’s first pitch, a 98 mph heater, and lined out to left field, with McKinney making a diving play to end the game.

“Today was kind of like the David Bednar we’re used to where he just stayed right after, and it highlights that he went right after Elly,” Shelton said. “This guy is a dynamic player — one of the better young players in the game — and he went right after him and just trusted his stuff.”