Game 6: Pirates @ Reds 04.10.16

Rubber match of three game series with the Reds.
Game Preview:
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"Pirates-Reds Preview
15h
Suarez drives in 3, Reds send Pirates to their 1st loss, 5-1
CINCINNATI REDSPITTSBURGH PIRATES12h
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4dOne Nación
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Pirates-Reds Preview
Pittsburgh
Pirates
4-1
1:10 PM ET
Line: PIT -118
Cincinnati
Reds
4-1
PIT: Locke CIN: Melville
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6:24 PM ET
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The Pittsburgh Pirates suffered their first setback against a team tied with them at the top of the NL Central -- just not one expected to be there when all is said and done.
One day after handing the visiting Pirates their first loss -- repaying the favor from a day earlier -- the Cincinnati Reds will go for their best start in five years with a series victory on Sunday.
A 6-5 comeback win in Friday's opener gave Pittsburgh its first 4-0 start since 2003, and the Pirates trotted out ace Gerrit Cole on Saturday for his first outing after dealing with a sore ribcage.
Cincinnati, though, knocked Cole out in the fifth inning en route to a 5-1 win, just the Reds' second victory in the last seven games of this series.
A season-opening sweep of lowly Philadelphia wasn't much to blink at, but Cincinnati can open the season 5-1 for the first time since 2011 with a second straight series victory. While the Pirates made their third straight postseason appearance in 2015, the Reds finished 64-98 and just a half-game better than the MLB-worst Phillies.
Still, Cincinnati found success against Cole and Pirates' Sunday starter Jeff Locke. While Pittsburgh lost all four Cole starts against the Reds a year ago, Locke's four were split as the left-hander finished with a 4.29 ERA.
Cincinnati's lineup hit .287 against him with three home runs, scoring 10 earned runs on 25 hits in 21 innings.
However, the Reds' lineup looks much different this season, and Locke will feature a new-look windup. He made some tweaks after posting a 4.49 ERA and 1.42 WHIP while finishing 8-11 in 30 2015 starts.
"It's a challenge, but it's stuff that goes on a lot behind the scenes," Locke said after a March 7 spring training start. "Just trying to be as comfortable as possible, but yet giving us the best chance to win, best chance to throw strikes and best chance to put guys away."
Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips have each struggled to .217 batting averages in their careers against Locke, but Joey Votto (.333) and Billy Hamilton (.429) have seen success in the matchup.
The Pirates were held to fewer than four runs for the first time on Saturday as Raisel Iglesias picked up his first win after getting thrust into the Reds' No. 1 starter spot. Four of their starters have landed on the disabled list, a series of events that leads to Tim Melville making his big-league debut on Sunday.
A 2008 fourth-round draft choice by Kansas City signed a minor league deal with the Reds in November after going 7-10 with a 4.63 ERA in 27 starts with Detroit's Triple-A affiliate last year.
The right-hander is the second Cincinnati starter to make his debut already, following Robert Stephenson's Thursday outing against Philadelphia.
Eugenio Suarez is a Cincinnati position player getting a strong look, moving from shortstop to third base to fill the void left by Todd Frazier's departure.
Suarez, acquired from Detroit in the 2014 trade for Alfredo Simon, has homered in three of the last four games. He has seven hits in 19 at-bats with eight RBI and eight runs scored already. He had 13 home runs in 97 games last year.
"I think he's already special, not just because of what he's doing offensively, but the way he transitioned from being an everyday shortstop to playing third base," manager Bryan Price said. "He's looking good. I think he's a dynamic defender.""