Marte’s 12th-inning, walk-off homer lifts Pirates over Reds, 6-4

PITTSBURGH _ Starling Marte hit a walk-off home run against the Cincinnati Reds Friday night, giving the Pirates a 6-4, 12-inning victory and reducing their magic number for home-field advantage in the wild-card game to one.tmpplchld Gregory Polanco walked against Collin Balester in the 12th inning. Marte hit the first pitch over the Clemente Wall in right field.tmpplchld The Reds entered Friday’s game on a 12-game losing streak, scoring 28 runs and allowing 83 during that span. They had not scored more than three runs in six games. The Pirates needed to beat this Reds team to come closer to ensuring the wild-card game stays in Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs beat the Brewers, keeping the pressure on the Pirates.tmpplchld Reds starter Keyvius Sampson represented the 108th start by a rookie pitcher for the Reds, and the club set a major league record by sending a rookie to the mound for 62 games in a row. Sampson had not completed more than four innings in six of his past eight starts and entered the game with eight runs allowed in 111/3 innings against the Pirates. He made it through five innings Friday, but allowed four runs.tmpplchld Francisco Liriano’s outing stood in contrast both to recent starts and his performance against the Reds this year. After allowing two runs in seven innings against the Reds on opening day, Liriano didn’t face them again until Sept. 8, when he pitched six scoreless innings and struck out 10. In his past to two starts, both on extra rest, he allowed two runs in 142/3 innings and struck out 18.tmpplchld Undone Friday by the second and third innings, Liriano allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings. Eugenio Suarez hit a two-run homer in the second and four hits led to two more runs in the third.tmpplchld Jay Bruce singled in the second inning. Liriano’s first-pitch changeup to Suarez was low, but not low enough, and Suarez put it into the shrubbery for his 13th home run of the season.tmpplchld Joey Votto’s third-inning checked-swing single extended his streak of reaching base to 48 consecutive games, tying Pete Rose’s modern club record. Brandon Phillips also singled. Andrew McCutchen tried a sliding catch on Bruce’s liner, but missed, and Bruce had an RBI double. Suarez singled and the Reds led, 4-0.tmpplchld Sampson held the Pirates without a hit despite hard contact through three innings, but McCutchen led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run, his 23rd.tmpplchld The wheels came off for Sampson in the sixth, which Marte began with a bunt single. McCutchen singled and Ramirez walked to load the bases with nobody out.tmpplchld In came lefty Tony Cingrani, and manager Clint Hurdle pinch-hit Michael Morse rather than letting Neil Walker bat right-handed. Morse walked, forcing home one run, and Pedro Alvarez’s soft groundout drove in another. Jordy Mercer lined a Jumbo Diaz pitch up the middle for an RBI single and the Pirates had tied the game at 4-4.tmpplchld ___tmpplchld (c)2015 Pittsburgh Post-Gazettetmpplchld Visit the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at www.post-gazette.comtmpplchld Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.tmpplchld