PITTSBURGH --- Juan Nicasio struck out eight in seven scoreless innings, Josh Harrison hit his first home run in nearly a year and Matt Joyce connected as a pinch-hitter to lead the Pirates to a 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night, extending Pittsburgh's winning streak to five games.

Nicasio (3-2) allowed three hits and one walk in sending the Reds to their fifth straight loss. Signed as a free agent in the offseason, Nicasio has won all three home starts with a 1.89 ERA while losing both road starts with a 6.75 ERA.

Harrison hit his first home run since May 15, a span of 379 at-bats, into the right-field bleachers with two outs in the fourth to raise the Pirates' lead to 2-0. An inning earlier, David Freese hit a two-out RBI single.

Joyce sliced a two-run homer off the left-field foul pole, his third home run of the season, in the seventh to make it 4-0.

The Reds scored on Tucker Barnhart's RBI double with two outs in the ninth. Mark Melancon relieved Arquimedes Caminero and got Scott Schebler to hit a game-ending flyout for his sixth save of the season.

Starling Marte and Jordy Mercer had two hits each for the Pirates (14-9).

Dan Straily (0-1) worked six innings in the longest of three outings since the Reds (9-14) moved him from the bullpen into the rotation. He gave up two runs and five hits while striking out five and walking three.

Joey Votto had two hits for the Reds (9-14), who have gone 4-13 since taking two of three against the Pirates during the first week of the season on April 8-10 in Cincinnati.

The Pirates opened the scoring in the third on Freese's RBI single with two outs and then doubled their lead to 2-0 an inning later when Harrison connected on an opposite-field shot into the right-field bleachers.

NOTES: Reds RF Jay Bruce was activated from the paternity list after missing three games, and Reds 2B Brandon Phillips (bruised left shin, bruised left ring finger) returned to the lineup after sitting out two games. ... Reds LF Adam Duvall got the night off in favor of OF Scott Schebler after Duvall went 2-for-14 with 10 strikeouts in his previous four games. ... Reds RHP Jon Moscot (sore left shoulder) is expected to make his next scheduled start Tuesday against San Francisco as his injury is to his non-throwing arm. ... Pirates RHP Jared Hughes (strained left lat muscle) joined the team before the game and is likely to be activated Saturday from the DL. ...The Pirates gave all eight members of their coaching staff one-year contract extensions that run through the 2017 season: Jeff Branson, Brad Fischer, Dave Jauss, Nick Leyva, Jeff Livesey, Euclides Rojas, Ray Searage and Rick Sofield. ... Reds RHP Alfredo Simon (0-2, 16.31 ERA) faces Pirates LHP Francisco Liriano (1-1, 4.64) on Saturday night in the middle game of the three-game series.