Pirates hurt Reds' wild-card chances with historic 9-run comeback win

CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 23: Ji Hwan Bae #3 of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrate safter scoring in the 6th inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 23, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Andy Lyons / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Pittsburgh Pirates pulled off the largest comeback win in franchise history by stunning the Cincinnati Reds with a 13-12 victory after being down by nine runs early in Saturday's game.

The Reds are now 2.5 games back of the Chicago Cubs for the NL's final wild-card spot following the devastating loss. Cincinnati has lost four straight and only has six contests remaining.

Pittsburgh trailed 9-0 after three innings before scoring a run in the fourth and then putting up a five spot in the sixth, capped by Bryan Reynolds' three-run home run off left-hander Alex Young:

"It's funny because (Ke'Bryan) Hayes was standing right next to me, and he goes, 'If he hits a homer here, this is going to get real,'" Pirates manager Derek Shelton said postgame, according to Jeff Wallner of The Associated Press. "He hit a homer, and it got real."

Alfonso Rivas then proceeded to tie things up in the seventh with a three-run double off right-hander Lucas Sims:

Jack Suwinski put the Pirates on top in the eighth with an RBI single off All-Star closer Alexis Díaz, who allowed four earned runs on five hits over 2/3 innings to take the loss:

The Pirates ended up scoring three more runs in the inning to take a 13-9 lead before the Reds scored two in the bottom of the frame and one in the ninth to finish one of the craziest games of the season.

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