Cincinnati Reds (9-24, fifth in the NL Central) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (13-19, third in the NL Central)Pittsburgh; Saturday, 6:35 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Reds: Luis Castillo (0-0, 5.79 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, five strikeouts); Pirates: Zach Thompson (1-3, 7.08 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 19 strikeouts) FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Reds -115, Pirates -104; over/under is 8 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Cincinnati Reds will try to extend a three-game win streak with a victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates.Pittsburgh has a 13-19 record overall and a 7-10 record in home games. The Pirates have an 11-4 record in games when they have more hits than their opponents.Cincinnati has a 5-9 record at home and a 9-24 record overall. The Reds are 3-5 in games when they hit two or more home runs.The teams play Saturday for the sixth time this season. The Reds lead the season series 4-1.TOP PERFORMERS: Daniel Vogelbach leads the Pirates with five home runs while slugging .464. Ben Gamel is 17-for-40 with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and eight RBI over the last 10 games.Tyler Naquin ranks sixth on the Reds with a .263 batting average, and has 10 doubles, a triple, two home runs, six walks and 19 RBI. Tyler Stephenson is 14-for-33 with two home runs and 13 RBI over the last 10 games.LAST 10 GAMES: Pirates: 4-6, .239 batting average, 4.66 ERA, outscored by 18 runsReds: 6-4, .265 batting average, 6.55 ERA, outscored opponents by six runsINJURIES: Pirates: Roberto Perez: 60-Day IL (hamstring), Jake Marisnick: 10-Day IL (thumb), Kevin Newman: 10-Day IL (groin), Greg Allen: 60-Day IL (hamstring), Blake Cederlind: 60-Day IL (elbow), Nick Mears: 60-Day IL (elbow)Reds: Lucas Sims: 15-Day IL (lower back), Nick Senzel: 10-Day IL (covid-19), Joey Votto: 10-Day IL (undisclosed), Jonathan India: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Jake Fraley: 10-Day IL (knee), Nick Lodolo: 10-Day IL (back), Justin Wilson: 10-Day IL (elbow), Daniel Duarte: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jose Garcia: 10-Day IL (hand), Mike Minor: 10-Day IL (shoulder), Max Schrock: 60-Day IL (calf), Donovan Solano: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Justin Dunn: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Tejay Antone: 60-Day IL (undisclosed)

TORONTO, ON —

The return of Joey Votto has been long-awaited, but the wait was worth it after he hit a tiebreaking homerun to give the Reds' a lead over Toronto on Sunday.

It seems fitting that Votto would hit a homerun against he Blue Jays after he was asked what sights he wanted to see on his trip back home and he responded, "Sights-wise, the center of the baseball. Parts of the city, somewhere around windows, maybe the second deck. Somewhere around there. That’s what I’m targeting.”

The Reds have been without their star first baseman since May 3 when he was placed on the COVID-19 injured list.

Votto was reassigned to play with the Reds' Triple A affiliate Louisville Bats before returning to the major league club. When he was placed on the injured list, he was hitting .122 with four runs, three RBI's and a double, so far this season.

On May 16, the Reds announced that Votto would continue his rehab assignment in Dayton with the Dayton Dragons, where he started out his MLB career when he first got drafted in 2002.

Votto returned to the Reds' roster on Friday when the team traveled to his hometown of Toronto to face the Blue Jays.

Although the Reds' only won one game out of the three-game series, this win was a meaningful one for the first baseman.

Bally Sports Jim Day asked Votto how much his tiebreaking homerun meant to him, since it was Votto's first home run of the season as well.

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"It has meaning, but I gotta start hitting. So, I could've done it on Mars and it would have felt satisfying. You know, I have to perform well, I've got to fit with these guys. I've got to do my job and you know, I have to do it ASAP and that was ASAP," Votto replied.

Day then teased that it could be Votto's last time playing in the Blue Jay's stadium, but Votto wasn't thinking about that, his mind was set on the game and doing what he did best.

"I wasn't thinking like that," Votto said. "I'm thinking I'm in the middle of competition, our teams tied. I've got to get a good pitch to hit. I'm starting to feel better at the plate. I don't want to get cheated. I want to make sure that I'm being myself and competing well... When you're in the middle of work like this, that's the priority, you know? I'm wearing a Reds uniform right now in a road city. No question about, it has great meaning, but I'm not thinking about that right in the heart of competition."

Votto also spoke about how returning to his hometown means a lot to him because he gets to see and spend time with his family that he doesn't normally see all the time.

"I got to see my mother. You know, you go months, months without seeing family. And it's the nature of our job I wouldn't have any other way, but I got to see my little nephew and my brother and his and his wife. They got to play on the field yesterday after the game. It means a great deal to me to be able to see so many familiar faces and receive a ton of support in my home city," Votto told Day.

The Cincinnati Reds will be back in action at Great American Ball Park on Monday against the Chicago Cubs, where hopefully Votto and the Reds can keep the ball rolling.

Joey Votto entered Friday's contest with two goals in mind. Get a win, and do it in style.Votto, much like the rest of the Midwest, has heard who is in town this weekend and he is as excited as the rest of the "Swifties."During Friday's game versus the Padres, Votto batted sixth in the lineup and made sure no one would forget it.The Reds veteran reached a career milestone of 2,000 games as a Red Leg and walked up to Taylor Swifts hit song,"22".

CINCINNATI (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt gave St. Louis the lead with his second homer of the game as the Cardinals tightened up the NL wild-card race with a 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a doubleheader on Wednesday.

The Reds entered the day tied with San Diego for the second NL wild card, 2 1/2 games of St. Louis and Philadelphia.

The Cardinals trailed 4-3 before Goldschmidt drove his third homer of the series into the last section of seats in deep right-center with Tommy Edman on first base.

The doubleheader was scheduled after Tuesday’s game was postponed because of rain.

The Reds have lost four straight for the first time since dropping four in a row from July 16-19.

The Cardinals bashed three homers among their 12 hits off Wade Miley (11-5), both season highs for the left-hander. Miley gave up five runs with one walk and two strikeouts in four innings for his first loss in 16 starts since coming off the injured list on May 30.

Reliever Génesis Cabrera (3-5) pitched two scoreless innings for St. Louis. Giovanny Gallegos pitched the seventh for his fourth save and second in the Cardinals’ last two games, both against Cincinnati.

The Reds scored three runs in the third inning, equaling the total from their previous three games combined. Miley drove in two with an opposite-field double to left.

Goldschmidt, the game’s second batter, launched a changeup off the ribbon message board atop the center field batter’s eye. He now has 24 homers this season.

St. Louis right-hander Miles Mikolas lasted only three innings in his third start since coming off the injured list on August 20. He allowed five hits and four runs with one walk and three strikeouts.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Ryan Helsley (right elbow stress reaction) was transferred to the 60-day injured list. He has been out since August 17.

Reds: OF Jesse Winker, on the 10-day injured list since August 16 with an intercostal strain, started swinging a bat on Tuesday, manager David Bell said.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Begin a three-game series at the NL Central-leading Brewers on Friday night with RHP Adam Wainwright (13-7, 2.95 ERA) on the mound. St. Louis has won each of Wainwright’s last eight starts at Milwaukee since a 4-3 loss on July 18, 2012.

Reds: RHP Vladimir Gutierrez (9-5, 4.03), Friday’s starter against Detroit, allowed seven hits and five runs in a season-low three innings in his last start on Saturday at Miami.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Sonny Gray pitched one-hit ball through seven scoreless innings, Tyler Naquin and Joey Votto homered in the fifth, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Miami Marlins 5-3 on Friday night.

Gray (5-6) had a 7.22 ERA over his previous six starts but was efficient against Miami. He needed eight pitches in each of the first two innings, then worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth, whiffing Lewis Brinson on three pitches to end the threat.

The right-hander retired Miami in order in five of his seven innings and exited after throwing 89 pitches. He struck out five.

“Maybe as good as he’s been all year,” Reds manager David Bell said. “Just in complete command.”

Bell said sitting Gray after the seventh was done for no other reason than to help preserve his arm for the season’s stretch run.

“Sonny, he’s always going to give you a chance to win,” Naquin said. “Sonny keeps a good pace and just goes out there and pounds the strike zone and gets outs. You give him a little bit of a cushion, and he just gets quicker and gets better as the day goes on.”

Naquin hit a one-out shot in the fifth before right-hander Elieser Hernandez plunked Nick Castellanos, who had an RBI double in the first. Votto then blasted the next pitch 432 feet into the seats in right-center field.

“He’s locked in,” Bell said of Votto, who hit a three-run homer on Thursday and now has 28. “It’s a difficult game, even for Joey, but he’s playing with confidence and freedom. He’s enjoying being at the plate.”

Votto has 17 homers in the last 29 games.

“Joey made us pay again,” Miami manager Don Mattingly said. “He’s just not missing right now.”

Hernandez (0-1) struck out Kyle Farmer for the second out in the fifth but was done for the night. He allowed five runs and five hits through 4 2/3 innings as Cincinnati took the first two of a four-game set from the Marlins after losing a series to the Cubs.

Lucas Sims came on for the Reds in the eighth and didn’t fare as well, surrendering a one-out, three-run homer to Jazz Chishom Jr. before getting out of it. Mychal Givens pitched a scoreless ninth for his fourth save, striking out Alex Jackson to end it.

STREAK FIZZLES

Tucker Barnhart’s franchise record errorless streak for a catcher came to an end at 161 games. Barnhart was charged with an error in the fourth inning when he was called for catcher’s interference because Jesús Aguilar’s swing came in contact with the catcher’s mitt, awarding him first base.

He last committed an error on July 26, 2019, a stretch of more than 2,000 innings.

“It was good run,” Barnhart said. “It wasn’t something I was really aware of. To have come to an end like that kind of stinks. I don’t think I did anything wrong.”

TRAINERS ROOM

Marlins: RHP Cody Poteet (sprained right knee) was transferred to the 60-day injury list. A recent rehab stint was interrupted by inflammation in the knee. He hasn’t pitched since June 24.

Reds: RHP Tejay Antone (right forearm strain) will make another rehab appearance Sunday at Triple-A Louisville and likely rejoin the Reds bullpen on Tuesday in Milwaukee. ... RHP Brad Brach (shoulder) has resumed throwing, but there is no timetable for his return.

UP NEXT

Left-hander Wade Miley (10-4, 2.84 ERA) goes for the Reds on Saturday against Marlins right-hander Zach Thomson (2-5, 2.91). Miley pitched seven shutout innings in a 14-5 win over the Cubs on Monday. Thompson pitched six innings of one-run ball last Saturday in a win over the Cubs.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Michael Hermosillo homered for the first time since 2018, Ian Happ and Sergio Alcántara also went deep, and the depleted Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-1 on Wednesday, taking two of three from their playoff-contending NL Central rivals.

“If you can come out of there with a series win you feel really good, and it feels like it’s been a little while since we’ve done that,” Cubs manager David Ross said. “That was really just a good offensive team. Our pitching showed up.”

Frank Schwindel and Rafael Ortega also drove in runs for the Cubs, who ended a 12-game skid a day earlier. Schwindel, Chicago’s regular first baseman since Anthony Rizzo was dealt to the Yankees at the deadline, had six hits in the series and is batting .329.

Adrian Sampson, called up from Triple-A Iowa earlier in the day to pitch in the majors for the first time since 2019, held the suddenly quiet Reds to one run and five hits in four innings.

Relievers Manuel Rodríguez (1-2), Rowan Wick, Adam Morgan and Trevor Megill blanked Cincinnati over the final five innings, allowing one hit.

Reds starter Tyler Mahle (10-4) gave up five runs and eight hits in five innings. Jeff Hoffman came on in the sixth and promptly surrendered Alcántara’s homer.

After exploding for 14 runs in the series opener Monday night, Cincinnati managed a single run in each of the last two games.

The Cubs banged out 12 hits and won for the fourth time in 19 games since trading stars Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Báez and Craig Kimbrel.

Happ’s first-inning homer was his second in as many games. Hermosillo, called up from Triple-A on Tuesday, slammed a 441-foot, two-run bomb into the upper deck in left field during a four-run second.

Tyler Naquin homered in the second, the only time Cincinnati got a runner past second base. The top five Reds hitters combined to go 1-for-19.

“We know every game takes our best,” Reds manager David Bell said. “Today (Sampson) pitched a good game against us. He threw the ball inside, and did a good job against the top of our lineup.”

BATTLING FOR A ROLE

Sampson said he knew when he was called up that he could stake his claim for a spot in Chicago’s rotation.

“Right now it’s almost ‘Game of Thrones’-esque,” he said. “We’re being asked what kind of role do we want to play in this organization going forward. It’s ours for the taking. If you want it, you got to go get it. I really want this job, and I’m going to do everything I can to be successful.”

IMAGINE THAT

Hermosillo’s only other major league homer was on Sept. 28, 2018, when he was with the Los Angeles Angels. The opposing pitcher for Texas was Sampson.

“I didn’t feel like that was something I should bring up,” Hermosillo said. Sampson said he didn’t realize it until Wednesday.

SHORTSTOP OF THE FUTURE?

The Reds are getting their first good look this season at their top minor league prospect, Jose Barrero, who had been tearing it up in the minors. Barrero — then known as Jose Garcia — was with the major league club last season for 24 games but hit poorly. The 23-year-old was recalled Tuesday after hitting .303 with 17 home runs and 62 RBIs at Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville. He got the start Wednesday and went 2 for 3 with a walk, including a ninth-inning double.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: RHP Adbert Alzolay (hamstring) threw a bullpen session Wednesday.

UP NEXT

Cubs: After a day off, Chicago returns to Wrigley Field to open a weekend series Friday against the Kansas City Royals.

Reds: Right-hander Luis Castillo (6-12, 4.51 ERA) is set to go as Cincinnati opens a four-game set with the Miami Marlins.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Mike Moustakas went 3 for 4 with three doubles and two RBIs in his return from the injured list to spark the Cincinnati Reds to a 10-0 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.

Tucker Barnhart hit a three-run homer, Jesse Winker and Jonathan India each hit solo homers and the Reds moved within three games of the Padres for the second NL Wild Card spot.

For the sixth time this season, the Reds scored at least 10 runs for Wade Miley (9-4), who allowed only six hits through seven innings.

Pirates starter JT Brubaker (4-11) owned a 1.76 ERA in three previous starts against Cincinnati, but was hit hard on Friday.

Moustakas — who came off the IL on Friday after missing 68 games with a right heel contusion — had a two-run double in his first at-bat.

Barnhart’s three-run blast to right capped off a seven-run first inning.

Winker led off the second with his 22nd homer of the season. Moustakas doubled and scored on Kyle Farmer’s single and the Reds led 9-0 after two innings.

Moustakas is the first Reds batter with three doubles in a game since Jose Peraza did it on Aug. 15, 2018 against Cleveland.

India’s solo homer off Kyle Keller in the sixth capped the scoring. It was his fourth homer in seven games.

TRAINERS ROOM

Pirates: Outfielder Ben Gamel, who was scratched from Thursday’s start, was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain. First baseman Colin Moran (left wrist fracture) was reinstated from the 10-day IL.

Reds: Catcher Tyler Stephenson, who left Thursday’s game with a cramp, was available off the bench. RHP Lucas Sims (right elbow) completed his minor-league rehab and could be activated Sunday.

UP NEXT

The Pirates will start RHP Mitch Keller against Reds RHP Vladimir Gutierrez on Saturday. Keller is 0-2 with a 9.37 ERA and 17 earned runs allowed in 16 1/3 innings in four career starts against the Reds. Gutierrez will make his 13th career appearance, first against the Pirates.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Joey Votto hit a two-run double in the sixth inning, and the Cincinnati Reds handed the Chicago Cubs their seventh straight loss with a 2-1 victory Friday night.

Cincinnati also got a strong performance from Sonny Gray, who struck out eight in five innings in his first big league start since June 8. He had been sidelined by a strained right groin.

Gray allowed one run and five hits before five relievers combined for four scoreless innings. Josh Osich (1-0) got one out for the win, and Heath Hembree worked the ninth for his second save.

Ian Happ singled for Chicago with two out in the ninth, but pinch-hitter Rafael Ortega struck out swinging for the final out.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto served a one-game suspension from Major League Baseball on Tuesday, three days after he was ejected for arguing with an umpire.

Votto was already slated to rest in the finale of a two-game series at Minnesota, an afternoon start following a 12-inning contest on Monday night that was MLB’s longest game of the season at 5:16. Shortly before first pitch, the Reds announced Votto was serving his punishment.

Votto and Reds manager David Bell were tossed in the first inning on Saturday at San Diego after a heated spat with home plate umpire Ryan Additon after Votto was called out on a checked swing. Padres catcher Webster Rivas appealed after Votto offered at a high, outside pitch, and third base umpire Chris Guccione confirmed that Votto went around.

Bell and coaches Delino DeShields and Freddie Benavides had to keep Votto away from Additon, who then ejected the player and the manager. Crew chief Jim Reynolds said after the game that Votto was booted because he “just lost control.”

Votto, in his 15th season with the Reds, has three homers and 13 RBIs in 14 games since returning from a month-plus absence because of a broken thumb.

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Reds hit five homers over the first five innings, including a three-run blast by Joey Votto, and Cincinnati extended the Colorado Rockies’ road woes with an 11-5 win on Friday night.

Nick Castellanos, Scott Heineman, Kyle Farmer and Tyler Stephenson also went deep against Kyle Freeland (0-2), who set a career high for home runs allowed in a game. The Reds fell one short of matching their single-game season high for homers.

The Rockies fell to 5-25 away from Coors Field and have lost every road series this season.

Cincinnati gave Tyler Mahle (6-2) a 9-0 lead before he faltered in the sixth, allowing a run on a wild pitch before Ryan McMahon hit a three-run homer. Mahle allowed four runs on five hits in six innings, retiring 12 straight batters in one stretch.

With Jesse Winker on first, Castellanos lined Freeland’s fifth pitch of the game into the first row of seats in deep right-center for his 13th homer of the season.

Eugenio Suárez led off the second with a double, and Heineman followed with his second homer of the season. Votto broke the game open in the third with his seventh homer, an opposite-field shot that followed third baseman McMahon’s error on a potential double-play ball.

Farmer homered leading off the fourth and Stephenson ended Freeland’s night when he went deep leading off the fifth. Freeland previously had allowed three home runs in a game three times. He gave up nine runs (eight earned) on eight hits.

The Rockies had seven hits. They came in batting a major league-worst .202 as visitors, while their home average of .277 leads the majors.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: Placed RHP Tejay Antone on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Tuesday, with right forearm inflammation.

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP Germán Márquez (4-5, 3.91 ERA) is 3-0 with a 3.15 ERA in three career starts against Cincinnati.

Reds: LHP Wade Miley (5-4, 2.96) was roughed up for 11 hits and eight runs in three innings at Colorado on May 14.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Joey Votto hit a two-run homer to cap a seven-run third inning and the Cincinnati Reds cruised to a 10-3 rout of the Cleveland Indians on Friday night.

Jeff Hoffman (2-1) gave the Reds another solid start, surrendering just a run and seven hits through six innings and helping himself with a looping RBI single in the third. Nick Castellanos homered in the sixth inning for the Reds, who struck first in the weekend battle of Ohio.

Seven of the Reds starters scored in the third. Eugenio Suárez doubled down the third base line to drive in two, and Votto followed with his shot off the top of the left field wall.

Tyler Stephenson had a two-run single in the fifth inning.

Amed Rosario and Jordan Luplow homered for Cleveland, and Josh Naylor had three hits.

Indians starter Logan Allen (1-2) didn’t make it out of the third inning. He gave up five runs on three hits, but reliever Phil Maton surrendered the big hits to Suárez and Votto before getting out of the inning.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds outfielder Aristides Aquino had surgery to repair a fracture in his left hand and was put on the 10-day injured list. Infielder Max Schrock was recalled from the alternate training site. ... RHP/OF Michael Lorenzen had the first of two PRP injections to stimulate healing in his injured throwing shoulder Wednesday and isn’t expected to return until June. ... OF Shogo Akiyama (hamstring) could be back in the first part of May.

UP NEXT

Right-hander Sonny Gray makes his first appearance for the Reds after starting the season on the injured list with a muscle strain in his back. Going for the Indians will be right-hander Triston McKenzie (0-0), who gave up three runs in four innings in a 4-3 loss to the White Sox on Monday.

This week on the Hear Cincinnati podcast, host Brian Niesz is joined by community reporter Lucy May, senior manager of enterprise/investigative Meghan Goth and senior real-time editor Pat LaFleur to discuss child care vouchers, a guilty plea in the Pike County murder case, what the cold snap means for the cicadas, and more.

Later, WCPO 9 News anchor Tanya O'Rourke chats with former House Speaker John Boehner about his new book and reflections on his path from southwest Ohio to Washington and back.

Listen to this episode in the podcast player above.

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CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto hit his 300th home run Friday night.

Votto went yard in the bottom of the third off Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta to bring base runner Nick Castellanos home on the way to an 8-6 victory.

Votto got a curtain call from Cincinnati fans and drove in three runs.

The 37-year-old six-time all-star has been a staple on the Reds roster since he was promoted from Louisville in 2007.

Nick Senzel lined a two-run homer, and Eugenio Suárez added a solo shot. The Reds won for the third time in four games after losing seven in a row. The Cubs scored twice in the ninth against relievers Carson Fulmer and Lucas Sims. Tejay Antone took over with two outs and got David Bote to ground out with the bases loaded for his first career save.