CINCINNATI (Interstat) — Sal Stewart’s two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning erased a late Pirates lead, and Nathaniel Lowe scored the go-ahead run on a fielder’s choice with a defensive miscue, giving the Cincinnati Reds an 8-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night at Great American Ball Park.

The Reds trailed 7-5 entering the bottom of the eighth after Pittsburgh had pushed across three runs in the top half. Noelvi Marte led off the bottom of the eighth with a ground-ball single to left, and Matt McLain followed with a line-drive single to right, putting runners at the corners with no outs. Elly De La Cruz struck out for the first out, bringing Stewart to the plate. The first baseman laced a sharp single to center, scoring Marte and McLain to tie the game at 7. Stewart took second on the throw home.

JJ Bleday grounded out to shortstop Jared Triolo, with Stewart advancing to third. Mason Montgomery then intentionally walked Tyler Stephenson to put runners on first and third with two outs. Nathaniel Lowe reached on a fielder’s choice when second baseman Brandon Lowe missed a catch, allowing Stewart to score the winning run. Ke’Bryan Hayes struck out to end the inning, but the Reds had their margin.

Pittsburgh had seized control in the top of the eighth. Nick Gonzales singled to right, and Endy Rodríguez singled to left to put runners on first and third. Jared Triolo struck out, but Henry Davis singled to left, scoring Gonzales to tie the game at 5. Jake Mangum then singled to left, scoring Rodríguez and sending Davis to third. Brandon Lowe followed with a ground-ball single to center, scoring Davis and giving the Pirates a 7-5 lead. Bryan Reynolds grounded out to end the inning.

The Pirates struck first in the opening inning. Brandon Lowe singled, and after Bryan Reynolds grounded into a force out, Esmerlyn Valdez walked and Ryan O’Hearn singled to load the bases. Nick Gonzales singled to center, scoring Reynolds and Valdez for a 2-0 lead. The Reds answered immediately in the bottom of the first. Elly De La Cruz walked, and after Stewart grounded into a double play, JJ Bleday walked and Tyler Stephenson doubled to left, scoring Bleday. Nathaniel Lowe followed with a sharp single to right, scoring Stephenson to make it 2-2.

Jake Mangum gave Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead in the second inning with a leadoff home run to right field, his third of the season. Cincinnati tied it in the third when Bleday homered to right, his 19th. The Reds moved ahead in the fourth. With one out, De La Cruz tripled to right, and Stewart followed with a two-run homer to center, his 23rd, giving Cincinnati a 5-3 lead.

Pittsburgh trimmed the deficit in the fifth. Brandon Lowe doubled, and Bryan Reynolds singled to put runners on first and third. Valdez lifted a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Lowe and making it 5-4. The Pirates could not complete the rally when Ryan O’Hearn popped out and Nick Gonzales grounded into a force out.

Both teams finished with 12 hits. Cincinnati grounded into two double plays but made the key plays late. The Reds improved to 52-57 with the win, while the Pirates fell to 55-56.

Hunter Greene started for Cincinnati and worked six innings, allowing seven hits and four earned runs with four strikeouts. Paul Skenes started for Pittsburgh and allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks over four innings, striking out six. Antwone Kelly delivered three scoreless innings of relief for the Pirates, giving up two hits while striking out three, and kept Pittsburgh within striking distance. Julian Garcia recorded one out in relief for Cincinnati, and Sam Moll struck out two in a scoreless appearance. Emilio Pagán earned the win, pitching a scoreless inning with one strikeout. Wilber Dotel took the loss for Pittsburgh.

Sal Stewart was the top performer for Cincinnati, going 2 for 5 with a home run and four RBIs. His eighth-inning single was the pivotal hit. Bleday finished 1 for 3 with a home run and an RBI. Jake Mangum led Pittsburgh with a 2-for-4 night, including his home run and two RBIs. Nick Gonzales went 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Henry Davis and Brandon Lowe each drove in a run in the eighth-inning rally. Endy Rodríguez scored twice for the Pirates.

The game took 2 hours and 58 minutes before an announced crowd of 30,618.

The result extended Cincinnati’s recent dominance over Pittsburgh in the season series, which the Reds now lead 4-2. The Reds had won the previous night’s matchup 3-2, and the two teams will meet again Saturday and Sunday at Great American Ball Park. Pittsburgh enters a stretch of road games against Milwaukee following the series, while Cincinnati hosts next week.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Cincinnati 6, Pittsburgh 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave Pittsburgh a 50.90 percent probability to win entering the contest. Pittsburgh had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The combined 15 runs scored went under the over/under line of 7.5.