Reds drive past Pirates, 9-1

March 16, 2012 10:28 pm

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By Paul Meyer / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

CINCINNATI -- Ian Snell would like to be left alone during his starts.

"I don't like people talking to me during games," the Pirates' right-hander said last night. "I'm really upset about it."

What really got Snell's dander last night was pitching coach Jim Colborn's visit to the mound after Snell walked Todd Hollandsworth following a two-run home run by Javier Valentin.

"I know it's his job to come out and try to calm me down," Snell said. "But it gets on my nerves. It's really bothering me.

"I go into the dugout after an inning and people are asking me, 'What was that pitch? What was that pitch?' I have a lot of stuff in my brain now. I have to get rid of it."

Snell allowed three home runs, including two by Valentin, in what became a 9-1 cruise for Cincinnati.

Snell has yielded 28 home runs this season, four fewer than National League leader Jason Marquis of St. Louis.

In his past four starts, Snell has allowed nine of those 28.

"I feel like I'm home run prone right now," Snell said. "Instead of giving up maybe one home run a game, it's two or three.

[Last night], though, I blame it on the ballpark. If it were anywhere else, those home runs are doubles, singles. You kidding me? Those are joke home runs."

Ryan Freel hit the first home run, driving Snell's second pitch of the evening over the center field wall.

Valentin's first home run was on a fastball up and away that carried just into the left field seats.

Valentin's second home run, which gave the Reds a 4-1 lead in the sixth, was a line drive on a 1-2 curve ball that was down and in. The ball barely cleared the fence in the right field corner.

"It appeared he hit a pretty darn good pitch," manager Jim Tracy said.

The Reds scored five runs in the seventh to blow it open. Those five came against September call-ups Brian Rogers and Juan Perez.

The only significant occurrence thereafter was catcher Carlos Maldonado making his major-league debut after 11 seasons in the minor leagues.

Tracy, mindful Maldonado will catch Shane Youman in his major-league debut tomorrow, inserted Maldonado in the eighth inning, guaranteeing the 27-year-old his first major-league plate appearance in the ninth.

Maldonado capitalized fully, bouncing the first pitch he saw through the middle for his first big-league hit.

"I'm tickled to death for the guy," Tracy said. "That was our highlight of the night. You wanted him to get an inning under his belt and an at-bat under his belt. You didn't want him doing that [tomorrow].

"This guy was told to lose weight this year, and he did. He lost 35 pounds. You love to see what took place [last night]."

Cincinnati starter Kyle Lohse allowed just a run in seven innings, continuing to contribute after being acquired from Minnesota July 31. The right-hander has yielded only 14 earned runs in 44 2/3 innings in his seven starts.

Freddy Sanchez went hitless in four at-bats, lowering his league-leading batting average to .341.

Sanchez had the game off in Chicago Thursday "to charge his battery back up," Tracy said.

He returned to the lineup last night because the Reds are mathematically alive in the National League wild-card race.

Milwaukee, which visits PNC Park next week, is all but eliminated. However, Sanchez will probably play against the Brewers.

Then the New York Mets -- about to clinch the NL East -- visit before the Pirates head to the West Coast to play Los Angeles and San Diego.

The Pirates' season ends with home series against Houston and Cincinnati.

Might Sanchez play in each of the remaining games?

"I can see him playing a lot," Tracy said.

The Reds, who have won only four of their past 14 games, entered last night's game 4 1/2 games behind NL wild-card leader San Diego.

"We're playing bad at a bad time," left fielder Adam Dunn said.

"We've got to win quite a few games," manager Jerry Narron said.

The Reds have three games against San Diego here beginning Tuesday, but by then the Los Angeles Dodgers could be the wild-card leader.

Tom Uhlman, Associated Press
Ronny Paulino congratuates Ryan Doumit after Doumit hit a solo home run in the second inning last night. Doumit was a lone bright spot in the Pirates' loss.
Click photo for larger image.