Tony Tribble, Associated Press Freddy Sanchez goes after a ground ball hit by the Reds' Edwin Encarnacion in the second inning yesterday in Cincinnati. Click photo for larger image. Related articles Pirates Notebook: Tracy makes room for Eldred It'll feel like football weather when the Pirates take the field Cook: Freddy was ready to play ... short sleeves and all Pirates Q&A with Dejan Kovacevic She takes the Pirates' record personally Play ball!

CINCINNATI -- The Pirates in a big game in the first week of the season?

Could be.

After losing twice in 21 hours at Great American Ball Park, the Pirates yesterday used home runs by Jack Wilson, Brad Eldred and Jason Bay, a strong start by Zach Duke and the return to the lineup of Freddy Sanchez to beat Cincinnati, 6-3.

"We bounced back very nicely," manager Jim Tracy said. "When you slip up like we did and get somebody to pitch like that, that's something you hope for. You hope to develop a guy like that to stop things."

"Any win is a good win but especially after we lost two in a row," Duke said. "You never want to get into a long losing streak."

The victory -- Duke's first on the road since May 2 last season -- gave the Pirates a 4-2 record on this season-opening swing through Houston and Cincinnati.

"You're never disappointed anytime you come out on the road and you play .500 ball or better," Tracy said. "But when you win the first three games on a trip and you have a chance to go home having won four out of your first six, this is one that if you win it, it's tremendous.

"After what we went through as a club last year, there should be a realization in that clubhouse what a game like [yesterday's] means. You get beat, OK, you're .500. But it's an opportunity that if you win, it's one less that maybe you feel like you have to win later on.

"Let's face it -- you play .500 or maybe a couple over each time you go out on the road and you're over .500 at home, what kind of season are you talking about? That ends up being pretty good, according to my calculations."

It could end up putting the Pirates in some kind of contention, but it's way too early for that calculation.

What was significant about yesterday's win, though, is that it made the Pirates 4-2 with all four wins on the road.

Last season, they didn't pick up their fourth road win until May 20 in Cleveland -- in their 22nd road game.

"A year ago, we were not a good road club -- not at all," Tracy said. "This is a far cry from a year ago."

Duke and his mates certainly made it seem so.

The left-hander stifled the Reds on three hits through six innings, permitting no runner to reach second base.

"The first six innings, I felt in control of everything," Duke said.

In the seventh?

"Something happened. I don't know," Duke said. "I just lost my release point and everything was down the middle."

Adam Dunn led off with a pop-fly single inside the left-field line. Edwin Encarnacion doubled Dunn to third. Ken Griffey Jr.'s long single off the left-field wall scored both runners and finished Duke, who left with a 4-2 lead.

Jonah Bayliss got two outs, but pinch-hitter Juan Castro's double off Juan Perez drove in Griffey before Matt Capps ended the inning.

Those three runs cut deeply into a 4-0 lead the Pirates began constructing in the fourth inning.

Yesterday morning, Tracy decided to play Eldred in right field, partially because left-hander Eric Milton started for the Reds.

	If you go to PNC Park When: 1:35 p.m. vs. St. Louis Cardinals. Gates Open: 11:30 a.m., with pregame ceremonies beginning at about 12:45 p.m. Closings: The Roberto Clemente Bridge will close to traffic at 10 a.m.; Reedsdale Street eastbound from Art Rooney Avenue to Mazeroski Way is closed for Light Rail Transit construction. Parking: Lots surrounding PNC Park and Heinz Field will not be available to commuters. They will open at 9:30 a.m. for game patrons. Of note: Fans are permitted to bring one bag into the ballpark. Bags, purses, fanny packs and backpacks, soft-sided coolers and soft-sided briefcases 16 inches by 16 inches by 8 inches or smaller are permitted. Food and sealed clear plastic water bottles 24 ounces and smaller are permitted. All bags are subject to search.

"It may not work, but something tells me [this is the day] to get him involved," Tracy said before the game.

Eldred, who didn't play in the first five games, looked at a fastball down the middle for a third strike his first time up.

"I didn't pull the trigger," Eldred said. "After that, I was fine."

In the fourth, Xavier Nady singled to left with one out. Eldred doubled into the left-field corner, putting the Pirates up, 1-0.

Sanchez, who went 2 for 4 in his season debut, singled to begin the fifth.

Wilson sent a 1-2 pitch into the left-field seats.

In the sixth, Jose Bautista's one-out double and a two-out double by Sanchez, who's 11 for 17 lifetime against Milton, accounted for the fourth run.

"Obviously, Freddy's a huge bat in the lineup," Tracy said. "He can flat hit. He's just a good player.

"He's a big-time, blue-collar player -- and as unselfish as the day is long."

Eldred answered Cincinnati's three-run seventh inning with his home run off a Todd Coffey slider into the right-field seats with one out in the eighth.

"A big, big at-bat after the Reds got within one," Tracy said.

"I saw the ball right out of his hand," Eldred said. "And I was looking to hit it that way."

Bay, perhaps emerging from his slow start, hit another home run into the right field seats off left-hander Jon Coutlangus in the ninth inning.

All that remained was for Salomon Torres to set down the Reds in the bottom of the inning. The right-hander earned his fourth save in four chances without incident.

"It was a big thing to win that game," Tracy said. "Instead of being .500 [on the trip], you're plus-2."

That would seem to be fairly accurate calculating on Tracy's part.