Reds 5, Pirates 2: Billy Hamilton and Jay Bruce each had two hits and an RBI as visiting Cincinnati beat Pittsburgh for the second straight night.

Reds starter Alfredo Simon (3-1) issued a season-high five walks but limited the Pirates to two runs and four hits over 6 2/3 innings. Devin Mesoraco and Ramon Santiago also drove in runs for Cincinnati, which has won six of eight.

Pirates right-hander Charlie Morton (0-3) took the loss, allowing four runs — three earned — on four hits and walking five over six frames. Andrew McCutchen went 2-for-4 with a homer and Starling Marte also had two hits for Pittsburgh.

The Pirates got on the board first when Simon issued a bases-loaded walk to Travis Snider in the first. Cincinnati tied it an inning later on Santiago's RBI groundout, but McCutchen's fourth home run made it 2-1 in the third.

The Reds manufactured some offense in the fifth, as Hamilton singled in a run, stole second, took third on a wild throw and scored on Bruce's grounder. Mesoraco plated another run with a grounder in the eighth, and Jonathan Broxton made it stand up by stranding two runners in the ninth for his third save.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Mesoraco extended his career-best hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the sixth. … McCutchen is 12-for-23 versus the Reds this season with three home runs during the current series. … Simon, in his first season as a starter since 2011, has recorded quality starts in all four of his outings.