PITTSBURGH (AP) — Henry Davis hit his first two home runs of the season, Mitch Keller pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Cincinnati Reds 9-1 on Friday night to end a five-game losing streak.
Davis homered in consecutive innings. He hit a solo shot to center field in the fourth that pushed the Pirates’ lead to 4-0 and connected on a two-run drive to left field that capped a four-run fifth and made it 8-0.
Click to Gallery
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz throws out Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin at first base in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Marcell Ozuna celebrates with Nick Gonzales (3) on his way back to the dugout after his two run home run off of Cincinnati Reds pitcher Zach Maxwell in the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis connects with a pitch from Cincinnati Reds pitcher Zach Maxwell for a two run home run in the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
It was the second career two-homer game for Davis, who also scored three runs after entering the game with a .154 batting average.
Keller (3-1) allowed one run, struck out six and walked one. His 104 pitches were the most thrown by a Pirates pitcher this season.
Bryan Reynolds and Marcell Ozuna also homered for Pittsburgh as the Pirates sent the NL Central-leading Reds to their fifth loss in 16 games. Reynolds hit a 443-foot solo shot to the shrubbery in center field in the first inning to open the scoring, and Ozuna had a two-run blast in the fifth.
Brady Singer (2-2) allowed four runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings while walking two and striking out one.
The Pirates’ Nick Gonzales went 3 for 3 with a walk. Reynolds, who also tripled, and Ryan O’Hearn had two hits each.
The Reds broke up Keller’s shutout bid in the sixth inning when TJ Friedl doubled and scored on Elly De La Cruz’s groundout. Friedl had two of his team’s three hits.
Justin Lawrence and Evan Sisk finished with one perfect inning each.
The start of the game was delayed by 1 hour, 31 minutes due to rain.
Up next
Reds RHP Rhett Lowder (3-1, 3.18 ERA) faces Pirates RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (1-2, 4.13) on Saturday.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz throws out Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin at first base in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Marcell Ozuna celebrates with Nick Gonzales (3) on his way back to the dugout after his two run home run off of Cincinnati Reds pitcher Zach Maxwell in the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis connects with a pitch from Cincinnati Reds pitcher Zach Maxwell for a two run home run in the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
TORONTO (AP) — RJ Barrett hit a 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds remaining in overtime and the Toronto Raptors pushed their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series to a seventh game by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-110 on Friday night.
Evan Mobley had a chance to win it for Cleveland but his 3-pointer bounced off the front of the rim.
Scottie Barnes had 25 points and 14 assists, Barrett and Ja’Kobe Walter both scored 24 points and Collin Murray-Boyles added 17 as Toronto held on after blowing an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Game 7 is in Cleveland on Sunday. The home team has won all six games so far in the series.
“This is why you fight so hard to get home-court advantage,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We knew this wasn’t going to be easy. This is the playoffs, this is what it’s about. We’ve got to recover and get ready for Sunday’s game."
Barrett's decisive basket hit off the back rim and bounced high above the backboard before falling through as the sellout crowd of 19,919 roared.
“Sometimes the basketball gods aren’t with you,” Atkinson said.
The high bounce on Barrett's winning basket kept Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic on edge.
"It was only half a second, but it felt like an eternity," Rajakovic said. “I was happy for him, for this team, for this city, that the shot went down.”
Barrett felt good about his chances as he watched the ball bounce high.
“I thought it was still good because it went straight up,” Barrett said. “When it goes straight up, you have a chance.”
The friendly bounce was reminiscent of an even bigger playoff basket north of the border: Kawhi Leonard's four-bounce buzzer-beating winner against Philadelphia in Game 7 of the 2019 Eastern Conference semifinals.
Rajakovic said he had a feeling before the game that Barrett was going to come up big
“Call me crazy, call me psychic, but I saw this one coming tonight," Rajakovic said. “It's surreal.”
Mobley had 26 points and 14 rebounds, Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points and James Harden had 16 for the Cavaliers. Jarrett Allen scored 14 points and Dean Wade had 10.
Harden shot 5 for 14 and went 1 for 4 from 3-point range. He finished with nine rebounds and nine assists, but also made four turnovers.
Cleveland finished with 18 turnovers, leading to 25 points for Toronto.
The Raptors also held a big edge in fast-break points, outscoring the Cavaliers 20-6.
Barnes had 14 points and 10 assists by halftime, making him the eighth NBA player since 1997 with 14 or more points and 10 or more assists in one half of a playoff game.
Raptors forward Brandon Ingram did not play because of a sore right heel. Ingram left in the second quarter of Wednesday’s 125-120 loss at Cleveland.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Toronto Raptors' Scottie Barnes (4) drives past Cleveland Cavaliers' James Harden (1) during the first half of Game 6 in the first round of an NBA basketball playoffs series in Toronto on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots as Toronto Raptors' Ja'kobe Walter (14) and RJ Barrett (9) defend during the first half of Game 6 in the first round of an NBA basketball playoffs series in Toronto on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Cleveland Cavaliers' James Harden (1) is surround by Toronto Raptors during the first half of Game 6 in the first round of an NBA basketball playoffs series in Toronto on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Cleveland Cavaliers' James Harden (1) drives past Toronto Raptors' Jamison Battle, right, during the first half of Game 6 in the first round of an NBA basketball playoffs series in Toronto, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Raptors' Scottie Barnes celebrates after a play against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half of Game 6 in the first round of an NBA basketball playoffs series in Toronto, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
