Pirates one momentum shift in the game was short lived as Todd Frazier’s three run homer leads Reds to 5-2 win

Win: Jumbo Diaz (1-0)

Loss: Tony Watson (0-1)

Save: Chapman (1)

Todd Frazier hit a Tony Watson 1-1 pitch into the second deck with one out and two on in the eighth inning to snap a 2-2 tie and lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Watson struck Chris Dominguez out to start the inning on four pitches but then ran into trouble. Watson allowed a one-out single to Billy Hamilton and the key sequence for Watson leading up to the Frazier home run was the Joey Votto at-bat.

Votto got behind 0-2 in the count but Watson would throw three straight balls to make the count full, before Votto singled to left, putting runners at first and third. Watson then left a fat pitch down the middle and Frazier who had a career year in 2014 with 29 home runs, belted one nearly 400 feet.

“Right down the middle,” Watson said. “Not where I wanted to be.”

Cueto shines for Reds: Johnny Cueto was dominant for the Reds, throwing seven shutout innings, while allowing 4 hits and striking out 10.

With Cueto out of the game, the Pirates rallied in the eighth down 2-0 on an Andrew McCutchen two-run homer but Frazier, Reds battled back in the bottom of the eighth after costing Cueto the win.

The 20 game winner from 2014 picked up right where he left off and continued his dominance against the Pirates.

Cueto allowed just one extra base hit, a double by Josh Harrison.

For Pittsburgh, Francisco Liriano was out dueled by Cueto but kept the Pirates in striking distance, in allowing two runs over seven innings.

Harrison, McCutchen spark two-run eighth: The Pirates eighth inning rally was jump started by Josh Harrison who went 2-4 in the loss. Harrison reached base with a one-out single and McCutchen hit his 21st career home run vs Cincinnati to provide some life for the Pirates and tie the game at 2-2.

McCutchen extended his hitting streak to 11 games at the Great American Ballpark and has five home runs during the span.

Andrew Lambo had a 13 pitch at-bat prior to Harrison’s single in the eighth. One of the positive developments in the game for the Pirates.

While it’s just one game, the disappointing part for the Pirates was McCutchen’s homer put the game there for the taking after Cueto shut the door for the first seven innings.

The Pirates one momentum shift in the game would be short-lived.