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Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle insists he hasn’t been keeping close tabs of his team’s slide following a hot start. He wasn’t aware the Pirates had dropped eight straight series until someone mentioned it to him earlier in the week.

”If somebody would have told me you’re going to lose eight series Youth Derek Grant Jersey , you’d think you’re going to be horrible,” Hurdle said. ”We’re not horrible. We’re fighting. And we believe that our best baseball is in front of us.”

It is, at least when the Pirates play the struggling Cincinnati Reds. Josh Harrison hit a two-run homer, Colin Moran and Elias Diaz added solo shots and the Pirates pulled away for a 6-2 victory on Saturday to push their modest winning streak to three and assuring themselves of their first positive series since taking a two-game set from the Chicago White Sox a month ago.

”We know what’s happened here the past couple weeks,” Harrison said. ”Guys are still plugging away and coming ready to show up every day and we’ve had three in a row. We know that doesn’t speak for what’s happened or what will happen. We’ve just got to continue to keep bringing it every day.”

Moran and Diaz both went deep off Luis Castillo (4-8) to give Pittsburgh the lead. Harrison hit his fourth of the season off reliever Austin Brice in the sixth. The Cincinnati native finished 2 for 4 is hitting .368 (14 for 38) against the Reds.

”Any time you can have a total offensive effort like that, it shows that we’re doing what we’re supposed to, taking advantage of mistake pitches and when presented with an opportunity to move a runner, get it done,” Harrison said.

Ivan Nova (4-5) worked through heavy traffic on a day his breaking ball abandoned him to last six innings and pick up his second victory in as many starts since returning from the 10-day disabled list with a sprained right ring finger. Nova allowed only Eugenio Suarez’s 13th home run in the second, striking out three while giving up three walks.

”I didn’t have the curveball today, but we grinded out there,” Nova said.

Castillo struggled keeping the ball on the right side of the fence at PNC Park, a problem that’s plagued the 25-year-old all season. He’s now allowed at least one home run in 15 of his 18 starts.

”It’s surprising because I’m trying to do my best and every time I get out there Authentic Stephen Johns Jersey , I give up one or two home runs,” Castillo said after dropping his fourth straight decision. ”I really don’t know what’s happening right now. I’m just going to keep working in the bullpen and keep doing my best trying to help.”

Rookie Brandon Dixon hit his first major league home run off Pittsburgh reliever Michael Feliz in the ninth and Jesse Winker had two of Cincinnati’s seven hits to snap out of an 0-for-13 skid, but the Reds had issues taking advantage against Nova.

Cincinnati went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and is now 0 for 19 with runners in scoring position in the series.

”We’ve just got to get it going,” Reds manager Jim Riggleman said. ”You go through these things. We’ve got a good offensive ball club. We’ve shown it many times. We’re just in a little funk here where we’re not getting some timely hits.”

Moran broke a tie with his fourth home run of the season and first since June 2 when he sent Castillo’s pitch into the bullpen beyond the centerfield fence leading off the second. Diaz made it 3-1 when his fifth home run led off the third.

The Reds had their opportunities against Nova. They loaded the bases in the fourth only to have Billy Hamilton ground out to first to end the threat. Scott Schebler led off the fifth with a double but couldn’t get home and Hamilton came to the plate in the sixth with two runners on only to fly out to left field.

Hamilton finished 0 for 4 as his averaged dipped to .187.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: Reliever Richard Rodriguez (right shoulder inflammation) threw 20 pitches in a simulated game and is nearing a return from the 10-day disabled list. Rodriguez, who is eligible to come off the DL on Monday, said ”things feel really good right now.”

UP NEXT

Reds: Anthony DeSclafani (1-1, 5.40 ERA) starts the series finale on Sunday. The 28-year-old picked up his first victory since 2016 in his previous start against St. Louis.

Pirates: Joe Musgrove (2-1, 2.16) makes his first career start against the Reds. Musgrove gave up two earned runs in five innings of a no decision on Monday against Arizona.

—

First, there was a violent play at the plate that led to two ejections and a benches-clearing incident. Then the game was won on a play at the plate with an unusual tag.

Enrique Hernandez dodged home on a wild throw by pitcher Matt Bush in the 11th inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers edged the Texas Rangers 3-2 on Wednesday night.

Hernandez drew a leadoff walk from Jesse Chavez (2-1) and moved up on a long flyout. Yasiel Puig was intentionally walked and Chavez was yanked after a walk to Logan Forsythe loaded the bases.

Austin Barnes followed with a comebacker, and Bush reached out to grab it. But Bush hurried as he spun around, and his throw home for a potential forceout pulled catcher Carlos Perez off the plate. Hernandez stepped over Barnes’ bat, pirouetted around the catcher and touched home with his right hand, leaving Perez tagging nothing but air.

”Just bringing back my Latino roots Youth Tyler Pitlick Jersey , showing off my salsa moves,” Hernandez joked.

Matt Kemp gave Hernandez a rave review: ”Great slide, avoided the tag, very limber.”

The Rangers asked for a replay review, and the safe call was upheld. After Barnes’ at-bat, the Dodgers would’ve run out of position players – instead, Bush’s error sent Texas to its season-worst sixth straight loss. The last-place Rangers got swept for the third time this season and second straight series.

Adam Liberatore (2-1) got the win in relief.

In the third, Kemp and Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos got ejected and the benches and bullpens cleared.

With two outs, Hernandez singled to right and Kemp tried to score from second base. Chirinos caught a pinpoint throw by Nomar Mazara and had his glove out to tag Kemp.

Kemp barreled into Chirinos with his arms up, leading with his shoulder. Chirinos’ helmet flew off as he got knocked over and Kemp fell, too. Chirinos held onto the ball for the out.

Chirinos and Kemp jostled as they got up. That led to both benches and bullpens clearing and forming a scrum at the plate. Kemp was restrained by Rangers starter Cole Hamels.

”I didn’t know he was going to come after me like that,” Chirinos said. ”I got mad when Kemp got up and he leaned into me and put his shoulder into me. That’s when I rushed him. Everyone knows the rule, they preach it to us in spring training. It was emotional.”

No punches were thrown.

”It’s not a big deal Tyler Seguin Jersey ,” Kemp said. ”Two guys shoving each other and it’s over.”

The rules outlaw runners from plowing into catchers, and catchers have to give runners a lane to the plate in most cases. In this play, the throw home took Chirinos directly into Kemp’s path to the plate.

”I think it’s unclear to everybody,” Kemp said of the newer rule. ”He was blocking the plate. I don’t know the rule. I don’t even know how it works. I didn’t have a clear path to slide. All I could really think about when I saw him blocking the plate was Washington when I slid into home and messed up my ankle. I didn’t want to do that again.”

Crew chief Bill Welke said Kemp didn’t violate the rule, and both players were ejected for their tussle after the play.

”The runner is protected by the blocking of the plate if he slides,” Welke told a pool reporter after the game. ”Kemp choose not to slide, therefore he lost his protection.”

Hernandez called the third-inning brouhaha ”a little bit of old-school baseball.”

”I’m one of the older guys now and when I first came up that’s how they slid into home, but the game has transitioned,” Hamels said. ”Sportsmanship has changed. I can’t give you definite answer if Kemp broke the rule or not. It’s a tough way to lose.”

With two outs in the ninth and Yasiel Puig on third, Delino DeShields robbed pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal of a home run at the center field wall. DeShields leaped and caught the ball before landing on his rear to send the game into extra innings.

Texas tied the game 2-all in the fourth on RBI singles by Jurickson Profar and Joey Gallo.

The Dodgers led 1-0 in the first on Justin Turner’s homer. They added a run in the second on a double steal by Puig and Forsythe. Puig scored from third.

Hamels allowed two runs – one earned – and five hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked four. Turner’s homer was the 18th given up by Hamels this season.

Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda allowed two runs and five hits in five innings while facing the Rangers for the first time in his career. He walked three and struck out one in his first start since May 29 after being on the DL with a right hip strain.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: SS Elvis Andrus (right elbow fracture) went 1-for-7 in his first two rehab games at Double-A Frisco and was to set to be the DH and play seven innings on Wednesday. Manager Jeff Banister says Andrus’ return depends on when he’s in shape to play every day. Andrus isn’t expected to rejoin the team before this weekend. … LHP Matt Moore won’t start this weekend and is being sent to the bullpen to work on his delivery and make necessary adjustments.

Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (lower back strain) threw a bullpen for the second straight day, with president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and manager Dave Roberts watching. Kershaw also worked on mechanics with pitching coach Rick Honeycutt. … LHP Rich Hill (left middle finger blister) will make a rehab start Thursday for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. If it goes well, Hill will rejoin the rotation next week in Chicago. &#