Cincinnati, OH – Todd Frazier, Zack Cozart, Joey Votto and Jay Bruce homered, as the Cincinnati Reds topped the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-1, to open a four-game series at Great American Ball Park.
Mike Leake (7-3) allowed six hits and a run over seven innings to win at home for the first time since April 17 against the Phillies.
"He's pitching with a lot of confidence and is throwing a lot harder than he was before," Reds manager Dusty Baker said.
Votto had two of the eight hits for Cincinnati, which has won six of its last eight contests.
Francisco Liriano (5-3), who hadn't given up a homer all season, yielded a pair of long balls. The left-hander was charged with five hits and had six strikeouts over six innings for the Pirates, who started a nine-game road trip.
Russell Martin doubled in the lone Pittsburgh run.
Votto reached second base in the bottom of the third, but the Pirates kept it scoreless when Starling Marte made a diving catch of a ball hit by Brandon Phillips to left field to cap the inning.
Cozart homered to the upper deck in left the fourth inning.
"Liriano pitched very well tonight. The one slider hung over the plate to Cozart," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.
Martin tied it in the sixth when his hit to right-center scored Andrew McCutchen. Bruce slid past the ball, which allowed McCutchen to round the bases.
Frazier belted a 443-foot homer, also to the second deck in left-center, in the bottom of the sixth to account for a 2-1 lead.
The Pirates put runners on first and second in the eighth, but Tony Cingrani struck out Pedro Alvarez to end the inning.
Bryan Morris gave up Votto's homer to left and Bruce's blast to left-center in the eighth.
Aroldis Chapman worked around a one-out walk in the ninth to secure his 18th save of the year.
Game Notes
Pirates second baseman Neil Walker, who walked to start the seventh inning, reached base for the 16th straight game played at Great American Ball Park ... The Reds are 25-12 at home, including 12 wins in their last 18 such contests ... Bruce has homered in two straight games and three of the last four contests ... The Pirates re-signed Jose Contreras, less than a week after releasing the veteran pitcher.
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