Pirates Clobber Reds 14-2

Suddenly, the Pittsburgh Pirates are putting it all together.

Jason Kendall and Al Martin each hit two-run homers as the Pittsburgh Pirates had their biggest offensive game of the season to rout the Cincinnati Reds 14-2 Friday night.

The Pirates posted a season-high for runs and had 17 hits in winning their fifth straight game. They have reached double figures in hits in seven of the last eight games and have hit 16 home runs in 11 games.

"There were times this year when we swung the bats pretty well and we didn't get pitching. There were other times when we pitched real well and didn't swing the bats," Kendall said. "I think lately we've finally put things together a little bit. When you do that, you'll have success."

Chris Peters (7-8) pitched the first seven innings to win his third consecutive decision. He gave up six hits and two runs with one walk and four strikeouts.

Reds starter Brett Tomko (11-9) pitched 2 1-3 innings, allowing six runs and seven hits.

"I got behind a lot of hitters," Tomko said. "When you get behind, eight out of 10 times they're going to get you. I'm not throwing strikes. It's that simple. I wasn't doing much of anything out there. It's pitiful."

Tony Womack drove in three runs and Kevin Young went 3-for-5 for the Pirates.

"We've been getting some hits in situations where maybe we weren't before," Pirates manager Gene Lamont said. "When you don't get hits, you put more pressure on yourself to get a hit and that's not an easy thing to do, especially on a team with a lot of young players."

Lou Collier's two-run double keyed a second inning as Pittsburgh took a 4-0 lead. The inning also included a squeeze bunt by Peters and Womack's RBI single.

Martin's 12th home run came off Tomko in the third. Reliever Rick Krivda, who gave up seven runs and seven hits in 1 1-3 innings, surrendered Kendall's 11th homer in the fifth. Womack hit a two-run triple in the fifth and scored on Adrian Brown's single.

Young and Turner Ward hit consecutive RBI doubles in the fourth to give the Pirates a 8-1 lead.

Jeffrey Hammonds doubled in a run for the Reds, who have lost their last five games against Pittsburgh.

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