By GARY SCHATZ
CINCINNATI (AP) — Joey Votto homered twice and drove in four runs, and the Cincinnati Reds pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates 13-1 on Wednesday to stay alive in the race for the second NL wild card.
Nick Castellanos, rookie Jonathan India and Eugenio Suarez also connected as Cincinnati (82-75) posted its fourth straight victory, clinching a second straight winning season. Castellanos had five RBIs, and India finished with four hits and scored four times.
The Reds pulled within 5 1/2 games of idle St. Louis for the second wild card. The Cardinals (87-69) need just one more win to secure the spot.
The 38-year-old Votto made a successful return to the lineup after missing two games with a sore left knee.
The first baseman hit a two-run shot off Connor Overton (0-1) during the Reds’ four-run first inning, and then connected for another two-run drive against Cody Ponce in the fourth. The six-time All-Star has 35 homers and 96 RBIs in his best season since he nearly won a second NL MVP award in 2017.
Castellanos hit two sacrifice flies before belting his 33rd homer in the sixth, a three-run shot to center.
Reiver Sanmartin pitched 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball for Cincinnati in his big league debut. The 25-year-old left-hander struck out five and walked one in the makeup of a rainout last week.
Sanmartin was promoted from Triple-A Iowa to step in for Wade Miley, who is on the injured list with a neck strain. Sanmartin became the first Cincinnati pitcher to win his first career start since Amir Garrett in 2017.
Anthony Alford had two hits for last-place Pittsburgh (58-98), including a double. Alford scored the Pirates’ run on Sanmartin’s wild pitch in the fifth.
ABOUT THIS YEAR
It’s the first winning record for Cincinnati in a 162-game season since it went 90-72 in 2013. The Reds went 31-29 in the 60-game 2020 season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: C Jacob Stallings was eligible to return from the seven-day concussion protocol list on Monday. Stallings has resumed baseball activities but has not been activated.
Reds: RHP Luis Castillo was placed on the family medical emergency list. He is scheduled to make his next start on Friday at Pittsburgh.
UP NEXT
Pirates: Open their final homestand of the season on Tuesday night against the Chicago Cubs. Mitch Keller (5-11, 5.96 ERA) starts for Pittsburgh, and Alec Mills (6-7, 4.96 ERA) pitches for Chicago.
Reds: Head to Chicago for a two-game series against the AL Central champion White Sox. RHP Riley O’Brien is slated to make his big league debut Tuesday night, and RHP Reynaldo López (3-3, 3.16 ERA) starts for the White Sox.