Die Macht » be no pushovers having won four of thei

PITTSBURGH -- The Cincinnati Reds picked the wrong time to run into a hot pitcher.Ivan Nova pitched a six-hitter to stay unbeaten with Pittsburgh and Jung Ho Kang hit a two-run double to key a three-run first inning as the Pirates defeated Cincinnati 4-1 on Thursday night, extending the Reds losing streak to five games.Nova (12-6) pitched his second complete game in seven starts since being acquired from the New York Yankees in a trade on Aug. 1. He struck out four, walked none, got 15 of his outs on ground balls and retired the first 12 batters while throwing 94 pitches.Nova improved to 5-0 with a 2.53 ERA in seven starts with the Pirates. He has issued just two walks in 46 2/3 innings.He didnt give us much to get excited about, Reds manager Bryan Price said. He did a really nice job, even during the few times we had runners on base. He gets so many ground balls, hes always a pitch away from getting out of a tough situation with a double play. When we did have some guys on, he was just able to manage the game extremely well.Nova finished off the Reds in 2 hours, 28 minutes.I think my wife and everybody likes it when I get home early, so I try to make it as quick as possible, Nova said with a grin.Kangs double opened the scoring and he came home on a single by Francisco Cervelli as the Pirates took an early 3-0 lead against Dan Straily (11-8).Kang is 7 for 13 with seven RBI in four games since being activated from the disabled list Monday after missing 15 days with a sore left shoulder.That was all the runs Straily gave up during a five-inning stint. He allowed seven hits, struck out six and walked three.I wasnt exactly where I wanted to be -- but they had three hits (in the first) inning that were probably a foot away from a glove. Total, Straily said. So thats just kind of the way it happened.The Reds dropped to 57-82, clinching their third consecutive losing season and 14th in the last 17 years.The Pirates, still on the fringe of the National League wild card race, won their second straight following an eight-game losing streak. They began a stretch of 15 consecutive games against teams with losing records.Clint Hurdle, in his sixth season, became the sixth manager in Pirates history to win 500 games.Josh Harrison hit two doubles for the Pirates. David Freese and Cervelli had two hits each.Zack Cozart singled in the Reds lone run in the sixth. Andrew McCutchen countered with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning.TRAINERS ROOMReds: CF Billy Hamilton (strained oblique) missed his fourth straight game with a strained oblique and stayed behind in Cincinnati to receive treatment. . RHP Homer Bailey (biceps tendinitis) has not started since Aug. 28 but the Reds hold out hope he will be able to return this season.Pirates: CF Starling Marte (back spasms) missed his third straight game. . RHP A.J. Schugel (sore shoulder) hasnt pitched since Aug. 30 and there is no timetable for the relievers return.PIRATES SHUFFLE ROTATIONRHP Drew Hutchison will make his Pirates debut Saturday night when he starts in place of RHP Chad Kuhl against the Reds. The Pirates acquired Hutchison from the Toronto Blue Jays in a trade Aug. 1 and he was 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in seven games, including six starts, for Triple-A Indianapolis before being recalled TuesdayFrom 2012-15, Hutchison had a 30-21 record with a 4.92 ERA in 76 games, 73 of which were starts, over four seasons with the Blue Jays.Kuhl and fellow rookie RHP Jameson Taillon are having their next turns in the starting rotation skipped as the Pirates attempt to manage their innings pitched. Taillon has worked 149 1/3 innings between the major and minor leagues and Kuhls total is 134 1/3.UP NEXTReds: RHP Tim Adleman (2-3, 4.02 ERA) will start Friday night and the rookie is 0-2 with a 5.63 ERA in his last three starts.Pirates: LHP Steven Brault (0-2, 3.32), also a rookie, will look for his first win in his fifth career start. Custom Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. Travis Konecny Jersey . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. http://www.nhlflyersproauthentic.com/dave-schultz-hockey-jersey/ . Their experience showed Tuesday as the No. 10 Badgers blunted a Saint Louis surge to win 63-57 and advance to face West Virginia in Wednesdays finals of the Cancun Challenge. Bobby Clarke Jersey . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. Jakub Voracek Jersey . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Minor premiers Sydney are a daunting prospect for Adelaide but at least the SCG holds no fears for the Crows when they take on the Swans in their sudden-death semi-final.John Longmires men are licking their wounds after an upset loss to Greater Western Sydney and will be desperate to atone for the uncharacteristic performance in front of their home fans on Saturday night.But Adelaide, who demolished North Melbourne in their elimination final, will be no pushovers having won four of their past five encounters against the Swans at the ground.I think we take confidence in the fact there is six teams left, no matter where the venue now, its game on, Crows forward Tom Lynch said.Every game for us in this finals series is an elimination final.I know the boys have pulled up pretty well and were eager to get over there and get a result.Adelaiide escaped unscathed from their 62-point thumping of North, although defender Kyle Hartigan was reported for tripping Lindsay Thomas.ddddddddddddSydney are counting the cost of their 36-point loss, the club confirming on Sunday Kurt Tippett (jaw) and Callum Mills (hamstring) wont play this week.The Crows have advanced to the second week of the finals for the second year running.Eventual premiers Hawthorn handed them a humbling 74-point defeat in last seasons semi-final and Lynch said his team is keen to atone.We were in this position last year - we win our first final and we werent able to deliver in our second one, he said.The boys are really keen to change that.(But) we know its going to be a real fight. 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