Dickerson continues assault as Pirates rout Reds

The Pittsburgh Pirates completed a three-game demolition of the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday afternoon, pounding out 15 more hits, including four home runs, in a 9-2 romp in Cincinnati that ran their season-high winning streak to nine games.

Corey Dickerson bombed his fourth home run of the series among four hits, helping the Pirates complete a sweep during which they collected 43 hits, including 18 for extra bases.

Right-hander Ivan Nova (6-6) benefitted from Sunday's offensive fireworks, coasting through 6 2/3 innings for the win. He allowed two runs on five hits, with two walks and two strikeouts.

The Pittsburgh assault began on Reds right-hander Matt Harvey's third pitch, which Dickerson laced for a double.

Three pitches later, Gregory Polanco crushed his 17th homer of the season for a 2-0 lead, and the red-hot Pirates never looked back.

Dickerson had a two-run homer, his 11th of the season, and Starling Marte added a solo shot, his 15th, in a four-run second that made the game an early run-away.

Sean Rodriguez chipped in with his fifth homer of the season, a solo shot, leading off the fourth, during which Harvey (5-6) was pulled, having allowed eight runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

He struck out two and did not walk a batter.

Dickerson finished 4-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs, giving him eight hits, seven runs and five RBIs in the series.

Polanco drove in three runs and Rodriguez scored twice, while Polanco, Rodriguez, Marte and Josh Bell collected two hits apiece for the Pirates, who had won the first two games of the series 12-1 and 6-2.

The Pirates, who went into the All-Star break having swept Milwaukee in a five-game series, totaled nine home runs, one triple and eight doubles in the three wins over the Reds.

Phil Ervin ended Nova's shutout bid with a two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning to account for Cincinnati's scoring.

Ervin and Jose Peraza had two hits apiece for the Reds, who have lost four straight.

The Pirates out-hit the Reds 15-6 in the game and 43-21 in the series.

--Field Level Media