Instant Reaction: Spencer Steer and Noelvi Marte's Big Day Lead Reds Over Pirates 14-8

The Cincinnati Reds (62-57) beat the Pittsburgh Pirates (51-68) 14-8 on Sunday in the series finale at PNC Park.

Here are our postgame takeaways:

Offense Comes Alive

The Reds had scored more than three runs just one time in August, coming into Sunday's series finale. The offense came alive on Sunday. In the third inning, Elly De La Cruz singled home Gavin Lux to give Cincinnati a 1-0 lead. Miguel Andujar followed with a three-run home run, his seventh of the season.

After the Pirates fought back to tie the game at four, Noelvi Marte doubled home De La Cruz to give the Reds a 5-4 lead. Spencer Steer followed with a two-run double to give Cincinnati a 7-4 lead.

Steer continued his big day with a two-run home run in the eighth.

With two on in the ninth, Marte played add-on with his eighth home run of the season.

TJ Friedl walked with the bases loaded and Steer hit a sacrifice fly in the inning to give the Reds a 14-8 lead.

Zack Littell Struggles

Littell was cruising through three scoreless innings, but then the Pirates seemed to figure him out. He gave up three runs in the fourth and a run in the fifth before being pulled for Scott Barlow, who stranded a runner at third base.

Littell went just 4 2/3 innings, his second-shortest outing of the season. He gave up four runs on nine hits, did not walk a batter, and struck out three.

Bullpen

After replacing Sam Moll with one out in the seventh inning and a man on base, Luis Mey walked the next three batters he faced to walk in a run.

Graham Ashcraft replaced Mey and got Iaiah Kiner-Falefa to fly out to center field with the bases loaded to keep it a 7-5 Reds' lead.

Ashcraft came back out in the eighth Oneil Cruz singled home a run. With the bases loaded, Matt McLain caught a line drive and tried to turn a double play by throwing back to second base, but threw the ball into left field and two runs came around to score, making it a 9-8 Reds' lead.

Brent Suter added a scoreless ninth inning.

News and Notes