Reds 11, Pirates 3: Todd Frazier’s two-run homer capped a five-run first inning and Jay Bruce collected four RBIs as visiting Cincinnati won the rubber match of the three-game series.

Bruce sparked the first-inning rally when he snapped an 0-for-9 drought with a three-run double off Jeff Locke (10-7), who was replaced by Jeanmar Gomez at the start of the second. The win moved the Reds into a tie with the Pirates for the first National League wild-card spot, with the teams meeting for a season-ending three-game set in Cincinnati next weekend.

Bronson Arroyo (14-11) yielded three runs over five innings to win for the first time in his last five starts. Arroyo was staked to a 7-0 lead after Cincinnati added two runs in the second on Chris Heisey’s RBI double and Brandon Phillips’ sacrifice fly.

Heisey and rookie Billy Hamilton had three hits apiece for the Reds, who finished 6-3 on their nine-game road trip. Cincinnati added to its lead with three runs in the eighth off Vin Mazzaro on run-scoring hits by Heisey, Joey Votto and Bruce.

Neil Walker went 2-for-2 with a solo homer and pinch hitter Travis Snider also went deep for Pittsburgh, which was denied in its bid to reach 90 wins for the first time since 1992. Both the Pirates and Reds are two games behind first-place St. Louis in the NL Central with six contests remaining.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Pirates C Russell Martin left the game in the fifth inning with soreness in his left knee. … Reds CF Shin-Soo Choo missed his second straight game with a jammed left thumb and is listed as day-to-day. … Pirates CF Andrew McCutchen went hitless in three at-bats against Arroyo and is 1-for-26 lifetime versus the right-hander.