Jordy Mercer, Starling Marte homers aid Trevor Williams in 3-1 win

Trevor Williams danced though the figurative raindrops for seven innings, given a 1-0 lead on a Jordy Mercer home run. The Pirated added a couple more late and came away with a 3-1 win over the Reds on Sunday and a second straight, previously rare series victory over Cincinnati.

Williams allowed eight hits in his seven innings, but stranded runners in scoring position in five of those innings, including each of the first four. He struck out five and walked one, holding the Reds scoreless.

Joey Votto doubled just after Billy Hamilton had been picked off in the first. Scott Schebler doubled in the second. Pitcher Sal Romano led off with a book-rule double in the third. None scored, as the Reds left 10 runners on as a team.

Romano more than matched Williams, allowing one hit through five innings. That hit, though, was a Mercer solo home run to left field in the third inning, giving Williams a slim lead with which to work.

The Pirates chased Romano in the sixth, though. Catcher Chad Wallach picked up an error, dropping Max Moroff’s pop-up in foul territory before Moroff smacked a double to right. Singles by Josh Bell and Jordan Luplow brought Moroff iin for a 2-0 Pirates lead. Romano walked Sean Rodriguez to load the bases and was replaced by Kevin Shackleford, who got Mercer to strike out to end the inning.

Romano struck out just two and walked four in 5 2-3 innings. He got 10 groundouts to two flyouts.

Starling Marte homered to center field off Tim Adleman — just his fifth of the season — in the seventh for a 3-0 Pirates lead.

Eighth-Inning Man Daniel Hudson got around a leadoff single for a scoreless outing.

The Reds got a run in and loaded the bases against Felipe Rivero in the ninth. Rivero issued a leadoff walk to Scooter Gennett, then struck out Eugenio Suarez and Schebler in succession. Pinch-hitting Zack Cozart hit a pop-up that Moroff did well to get a glove on, but he couldn’t squeeze it and was charged with a game-extending error, allowing Gennett to score from second. Phillip Ervin, another pinch hitter, reached on an infield single and Hamilton walked. Very Bad Baseball Player Jose Peraza then hit one right back to Rivero, who tossed home to Elias Diaz for the force out and the victory.

Votto was the only player on either side with multiple hits, going 2-for-4, though each Reds starter except Wallach got a hit.