Gennett’s grand slam helps Reds win over Pirates
— So far, Matt Harvey is making good on his second chance.
The former Mets ace allowed only one run over six innings for his first win with the Cincinnati Reds, and Scooter Gennett hit his fifth grand slam in the last two seasons on Tuesday night for a 7-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Reds traded catcher Devin Mesoraco to the Mets for Harvey on May 8, giving him a chance to revive a career that had bottomed out. Harvey (1-2) has thrown more pitches each outing as he gets back into form after being relegated to the Mets bullpen.
He is looking a little better each time out, too. He limited the Pirates to three hits.
“It was a good step for me,” Harvey said. “There were times earlier this year when I thought I might not get another win in the big leagues. It was good to get that first one.”
The Pirates loaded the bases in the first with the help of a pair of walks, but Harvey escaped the threat by fanning Colin Moran for the first of his five strikeouts. Moran hit a solo homer in the fourth.
Harvey has thrown 55, 77 and 93 pitches in his starts for Cincinnati. He has yielded four runs and 11 hits in 14 innings.
“It’s an opportunity for him to find another way — a different way, a different team,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “This could turn out to be a really good opportunity for him. He’s going through an evolution process as well.”
Gennett led the majors with a club-record four grand slams last season. He got his first of this season off Jameson Taillon (2-4), connecting on a high changeup in the fifth inning. Taillon hasn’t won in eight starts since he threw a one-hitter to beat the Reds on April 8 at PNC Park.
The Pirates intentionally walked Joey Votto to load the bases and bring up Gennett, who has grounded into six double plays, tied for the most on the team.
“It definitely makes sense what they did,” Gennett said. “I think Joey’s the best hitter in baseball. I definitely didn’t take it personally, but I do like getting up there with the bases loaded.”
Gennett also had an RBI double in the first inning and a sacrifice fly in the seventh for a season-high six RBIs. His career high is 10 RBIs during his four-homer game against St. Louis last June 6.
The Pirates dropped their fourth in a row overall.
Nats past Padres 2-1
— Bryce Harper hit his NL leading 15th home run of the season and Michael Taylor’s one-out double in the ninth scored the game-winning run as the Washington Nationals defeated the San Diego Padres 2-1 on Tuesday night.
Juan Soto, the youngest player in the majors, reached base in all four at-bats in his second career start. The 19-year-old led off the ninth with his third walk, took second on Wilmer Difo’s groundout and scored on Taylor’s hit off the center-field wall against Matt Strahm (0-2).
Taylor also threw out a runner at the plate for the final out in the sixth inning with the score 1-1.
Sean Doolittle (2-2) struck out the side in the ninth.
Harper’s blast, his second in two games, went an estimated 433 feet to straightaway center. It was the only run allowed by Padres starter Eric Lauer over six innings.
Washington has won two straight after getting swept in a three-game series at home by the Dodgers.
Jeremy Hellickson held San Diego to one run and five hits over 5 1/3 innings. He threw one pitch after Jose Pirela’s one-out double in the sixth before exiting with an undisclosed injury.
Reliever Wander Suero replaced Hellickson and recorded one out before surrendering Franmil Reyes’ single to center. Catcher Pedro Severino fielded Taylor’s throw and tagged Pirela at the plate, but the runner was initially ruled safe. Washington challenged the play and replay overturned the call.
Lauer, making his sixth career start, scattered six hits and struck out seven.
Soto singled in the second inning, but was picked off first base. He hit a three-run homer in Monday’s 10-2 rout over San Diego and reached base six times in eight plate appearances over the two starts.