CINCINNATI — Tucker Barnhart hit a home run and Brian Goodwin prevented one with a leaping catch as the Cincinnati Reds extended their winning streak to a season-high four games with a 4-1 victory Tuesday night over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Michael Lorenzen looked sharp in a spot start, helping Cincinnati inch closer to a playoff spot.
The third-place Reds went into the game higher than fourth in the NL Central for the first time since they were tied with Milwaukee for third on Aug. 23.
They were 1 1/2 games behind second-place St. Louis and ninth in the overall National League standings, one game behind the Giants for the final postseason berth.
The loss was the Pirates seventh in a row.
The teams will play again on Wednesday at 6:40 p.m.
