News » walk off Tony Cingrani with two outs in the 12th

PITTSBURGH -- Pirates catcher Russell Martin didnt start Thursdays game. Rather, he ended it. Martin drew a bases-loaded walk off Tony Cingrani with two outs in the 12th inning and Pittsburgh beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 to avoid a three-game sweep. Cingranis first pitch buzzed in low around the ankles of Martin, who drew boos from those left in attendance for not letting the ball hit him to score the winning run. "I did wonder maybe if I wouldve got hit the game would be over," Martin said. "But when its at your feet you just react, and I just reacted." Later, Cingranis 3-1 pitch caught what Reds manager Bryan Price thought was a part of the strike zone established during the games proceedings. Instead, it was ball four. "Im not saying we would have won this game," Price said. "But it certainly didnt give us an opportunity to go out there and compete in the 13th." Cingrani (2-8) took the loss after he gave up a single to Gaby Sanchez, balked him to second, intentionally walked Josh Harrison and hit Clint Barmes with a pitch to load the bases. Martin entered the game in the 10th and wound up walking twice. Justin Wilson (2-0) retired the Reds in order in the top of the 12th. Devin Mesoraco hit a solo homer in the Reds ninth off Jason Grilli, who blew his fourth save in 15 chances this season. Grilli gave up a home run for the second time in three days, and has allowed four in 20 games this year. He gave up four homers in 54 appearances last season. Billy Hamilton led off the game with a double against Jeff Locke, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Joey Votto to put the Reds ahead 1-0. Votto doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jay Bruce for a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Locke settled down though and worked six innings in which he allowed two runs on six hits and a walk. Gregory Polanco opened the fourth with a single for Pittsburghs first runner against Homer Bailey and the Pirates later scored three times in the fifth. With runners at the corners and Polanco at the plate, Bailey went through his pitching motion but did not release the ball and was called for a balk. ""It was one of those deals where youre thinking more about not falling than throwing the ball," Bailey said. "My back foot slipped out from me then I land on the side of my other the foot, so it was a circus all the way around. I was just trying not to fall backward." Pirates manager Clint Hurdle offered that the call may have helped his hitters gain some traction against Bailey after he started with three perfect frames. "I think that the balk call might have leaked in a little bit," Hurdle said. "Whether it rattled him, I dont know, hes a pro." Polanco, Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen followed with singles that scored two runs for a 3-2 Pittsburgh lead. "They hit some balls off the end of the bat, had some balls fall in," Bailey said. Price pulled Bailey in the sixth and as reliever Sam LeCure took his warmup pitches, heavy rain began to fall and there was a 35-minute delay. The Pirates twice put runners in scoring position after Mesoracos tying homer. McCutchen struck out looking at an offspeed offering from Aroldis Chapman in the ninth with runners at first and second. Marte struck out swinging in the 11th in the same situation. NOTES: Polancos single in the fourth extended his hitting streak to nine games, the longest by any Pirates player to begin a major league career. ... Barmes finished with his first four-hit game since May 30, 2009. ... RHP Charlie Morton (4-7, 3.09) opposes Cubs RHP Edwin Jackson (4-7, 5.11) on Friday afternoon as the Pirates open a three-game series at Wrigley Field. ... RHP Mat Latos (0-0, 0.00) is slated to make his second start of the season when the Reds return home to face RHP R.A. Dickey (6-5, 4.08) and the Toronto Blue Jays. Liverpool Kit Sale . You can watch the game on TSN at 7pm et/4pm pt and listen to the game on TSN Radio 690 in Montreal. After starting the month of November on an 0-3-1 slide, the Canadiens have recorded wins in three of their last five outings (3-1-1). Xherdan Shaqiri Jersey Uk . The American secured his first back-to-back ATP match wins since June to leave Tsonga relying on his performance at next weeks Paris Masters to clinch one of the final three places for the season-ending event in London. Tsonga would have moved up one spot to No. 6 with a win over Querrey at the City of Arts and Sciences, but his serve deserted him in the second set as the 116th-ranked American broke twice to reach the quarter-finals. http://www.liverpoolshoponlineuk.com/firmino-liverpool-shirt.html . Goodell said in an ESPN Radio interview Monday (http://es.pn/1gkbauy ) that participants played harder and made the game very competitive. Goodell says he had fun watching the game Sunday and thinks fans did, too. Henderson Liverpool Shirt . -- The court fight over NFL concussions should heat up soon as a judge in Philadelphia weighs the fairness of the proposed $765 million settlement. Wijnaldum Jersey Liverpool .Y. - Alex Rodriguez paid $305,000 for evidence that could be used in the case involving the Biogenesis of America drug clinic, the Daily News reported Saturday.The Ottawa Senators are still looking for common ground in contract talks with Jared Cowen and the team believes its latest offer - a four-year proposal - is fair for the restricted free agent defenceman. "I think weve really closed the gap on their first number and they have just kind of come off their first number minimal, so again I dont want to shut off negotiations with them and say this is it," assistant general manager Tim Murray said on Friday. "But in my belief, we made such a great try in our last proposal. Were right at the end of our internal cap - and the comparables to what other guys have got the last three and four years coming out of entry level - and our last offer was right at the top of the majority of those guys." The Ottawa Sun reported last month that the Senators tabled an eight-year, $28 million contract offer as both sides looked to get a deal done before the start of training camp. The Sun added that while the deal was not rejected, nothing had been done and both sides had exchanged several proposals. "We have talked different length of contract,"; explained Murray.dddddddddddd"We started with an eight-year deal, they thought they were leaving to much money on the table and thats fair - its hard to gauge for them where he is going to be his first year of UFA for them which is five years. "So then we both started talking four-year deals. I have no problem saying that. I think four years is fair to both sides. He gets to establish himself as what they believe is a top player. Hell have once year of restricted free agency after the four-year deal and he can hit a home run. And in the meantime, he can be making very competitive dollars compared to his peer group. I think were both on the same side on rhe term. We certainly are not on the same wave length with dollars." Cowen, 22, played seven games with the Senators last season after recovering from surgery for a torn labrum in his hip. He suffered the injury while playing with the American Hockey Leagues Binghamton Senators and had surgery in mid-November. Hes played 90 games with the Senators, tallying six goals and 18 points with a minus-3 rating and 68 penalty minutes. ' ' '