A three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning by Todd Frazier lifted the Reds to a 5-2 Opening Day victory on Monday at Great American Ball Park.
It was a 2-2 game in the eighth when Cincinnati got one-out singles from Billy Hamilton and Joey Votto against lefty reliever Tony Watson. After Hamilton stole third base, Frazier tattooed Watson’s 1-1 pitch into the left-field upper deck that sent the sold-out crowd of 43,633 fans into a frenzy.
“It’s really exciting,” Frazier said. “We gave up two runs that inning and you saw the resilience we had and guys picking each other up.”
Andrew McCutchen had tied the game in the top of the eighth with a two-run homer off reliever Kevin Gregg.
Reds ace Johnny Cueto gave up four hits and one walk over his seven innings while striking out 10 during his fourth straight Opening Day start. Pirates starter Francisco Liriano finished with two earned runs, two hits and three walks over his seven innings, with seven strikeouts. The game included a 35-minute rain delay before the top of the sixth inning, but both Cueto and Liriano were able to continue.
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