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PITTSBURGH — Konnor Griffin’s home run in his first at-bat off the injured list was the first of three for the Pirates, but the blasts weren’t enough in a 6-4 loss to the Reds at PNC Park on Friday night.
Bottom 1st, 1-0 PIT: Konnor Griffin led off the bottom of the first with a 435-foot home run into the second deck of the left field bleachers off Andrew Abbott. Griffin’s fifth home run of the season was the team’s fifth leadoff homer this year.

Top 2nd, 4-1 CIN: The Reds (38-42) responded by sending nine men to the plate and scoring four runs off Paul Skenes. Spencer Steer and Tyler Stephenson hit back-to-back singles and Blake Dunn and Elly De La Cruz each chipped in sacrifice flies.
Bottom 5th, 4-2 CIN: The Pirates (41-41) took advantage of an Eugenio Suárez throwing error from third base, which allowed Henry Davis to reach and advance to second. Davis scored from third on a Brandon Lowe sacrifice fly.
Bottom 6th, 4-4: Marcell Ozuna and Esmerlyn Valdez each tagged solo home runs off Abbott to knock the Reds starter out of the game. Ozuna’s shot to center traveled 408 feet and Valdez sent one 414 feet to left.
Top 8th, 6-4: Noelvi Marte hit a go-ahead two-run home run to left field off Mason Montgomery (2-3). Marte, who pinch-hit for Nathaniel Lowe, rocketed one 405 feet.

Noelvi Marte’s game-winning home run was his fourth of the season, all of which have come in his last 11 games. It was the first pinch-hit home run of his career.
The Pirates twice brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the bottom of the eighth but Reds reliever Pierce Johnson struck out Nick Gonzales and got Jake Mangum to bounce out to short.
Marcell Ozuna homered, singled and reached base safely three times in four trips to the plate. Ozuna is batting .333 (10 for 30) in the month of June.
Paul Skenes notched his 500th strikeout in the 72nd start of his career. That’s the fastest a Pirates pitcher has reached the milestone since at least 1893 (by starts).

Paul Skenes: 5.0 innings, six hits, four runs, two walks, seven strikeouts, 96 pitches/66 strikes

Mason Montgomery: 0.2 inning, two hits, two runs, no walks, two strikeouts, 23 pitches/12 strikes

Marcell Ozuna: 2 for 3, one home run, one walk, one RBI, one run

Konnor Griffin: 2 for 4, one home run, one RBI, one run

Esmerlyn Valdez: 2 for 4, one home run, one RBI, one run

Jake Mangum: 2 for 4

At 20 years and 63 days old, Konnor Griffin became the sixth-youngest player in MLB history to hit a leadoff home run.

Bryan Reynolds extended his on-base streak to 31 games, which is the longest active streak in MLB. He also extended his hitting streak to 15 games.

Paul Skenes had only allowed two runs in 34 innings across six starts against the Reds entering play. The Pirates have lost eight straight games he started (last win came on May 12 against the Rockies).

The Pirates’ bullpen had thrown 11.2 scoreless innings this homestand before Mason Montgomery gave up two runs in the eighth.

SS Konnor Griffin (right forearm strain) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list. INF Jack Brannigan was optioned to Double-A Altoona.

Despite taking a line drive off his elbow in his last start, RHP Jared Jones (1-1, 5.75 ERA) will be on the mound for the Pirates on Saturday. Reds ace RHP Chase Burns (9-1, 2.00 ERA) gets the ball for the Reds. First pitch: 4:05 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh/93.7 The Fan.
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