PITTSBURGH ( Associated Press) — Mike Moustakas homered twice, Brandon Drury drove in four runs and the streaking Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-2 on Friday night to continue a slight recovery from a dismal start to the season.
Moustakas broke a 2-2 tie with a solo homer into the stands off right field in the fourth inning. In the seventh inning, he hit another solo shot that made it 8-2, two batters after Drury drove in a pair of runs.
The game was the 15th in which Moustakas has hit at least two home runs for a career total of 199 homers.
The Reds claimed their sixth victory in eight games after a 3-22 start to the campaign.
Tyler Mahle (2-4) got his first win since the Reds’ opener of the season and ended his six-start winless streak. He gave up two runs on five hits in six innings, striking out eight and walking no balls.
The Reds’ starters have pitched six straight innings after failing to go that far in the first 31 games of the season.
Drury, who had 14 hitless at-bats, put the Reds ahead 5-2 with a two-run double in the fifth inning.
Mitch Keller (0-5) took the loss. They thrashed him with five runs and five hits in four two-thirds innings. He has 13 starts since his previous victory on May 21, 2020, against Colorado, at PNC Park.
For the Pirates, the Dominicans Diego Castillo 2-0 and Rodolfo Castro 4-1. Puerto Rican Michael Pérez 4-0.
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