Billy Hamilton is well aware of his struggles at the plate. The Cincinnati Reds centerfielder has tried to stay positive even as his average and his spot in the batting order dropped at an alarming rate Cheap Josh Allen Jersey , trying to focus on being a more complete player until his swing returned.

For the first time in a while – far too long for Hamilton’s liking – everything that makes him so effective was on full display Sunday against Pittsburgh. Hamilton went 3 for 4, stole two bases, scored three times and made a pair of vital defensive plays as the Reds held on for an 8-6 victory on Sunday.

Hamilton started the day with a diving grab on the warning track in right-center to rob Pittsburgh’s Francisco Cervelli of extra bases in the first. He ended it by starting the sequence that cut down the potential game-tying run at the plate in the eighth then trotting home in the ninth after Scott Schebler’s two-run shot gave Cincinnati a little extra breathing room.

”Oh my goodness, that’s the best part (is the hitting),” Hamilton said after boosting his average .197. ”I ain’t worried about the catch. The catch is good, but I’m just worried about what I did at the plate. Especially for me, I’ve been struggling, man. Just to have one of these days, it gives you a bunch of confidence and clears your head a little bit.”

Eugenio Suarez homered in the second straight game and Joey Votto celebrated his 1,500th major league contest by going 2 for 4 with two RBIs for the Reds. Schebler added three RBIs for Cincinnati, which won for just the second time in seven tries at PNC Park this season.

Anthony DeSclafani (2-1) surrendered solo home runs to Colin Moran and Gregory Polanco but otherwise kept the Pirates in check to pick up his second victory since his return after missing the entire 2017 season with right elbow issues. DeSclafani struck out four against three hits and a strikeout in 5 2/3 innings and more than once caught himself marveling at Hamilton.

”It’s unbelievable what he can do out there Jaire Alexander Packers Jersey , man,” DeSclafani said. ”He saves pitchers all the time and he’s just fun to watch out there. It’s like video game stuff. It’s unbelievable.”

Raisel Iglesias allowed an inherited runner to score in the eighth and an RBI-single to Austin Meadows in the ninth but managed to record the final four outs for his 10th save, receiving a bit of help in the process. Iglesias entered with two on and two outs in the eighth and immediately surrendered a double in the gap to Polanco.

Corey Dickerson scored to pull the Pirates within one but Josh Bell was out at home trying to score all the way from first after Hamilton raced to the ball and quickly got it to shortstop Jose Peraza, who fired a strike to home.

The call stood upon review after the Pirates challenged Cincinnati catcher Curt Casali may have illegally blocked the plate.

”I was just thinking head-first slide before he caught it so it was just too late for me to redirect or think anything else at that point,” Bell said, who added he thought Casali ”100 percent” gave him a lane to slide.

SLUMP BUSTED?

Like Hamilton, Polanco has been mired in an extended slump. The Pirates moved him to seventh in the lineup and there are signs he’s on the verge of snapping out of it after going 3 for 3, including his ninth home run of the season.

”Right now I am not thinking about anything, just seeing the ball and hit it,” Polanco said after boosting his average to .211. ”Because my swing the last couple days has been good. I’m not thinking now, I’m just swinging now. And when you’re not thinking your swing is good. So you just want to continue to keep seeing the pitches that you want to hit.”

MUSGROVE MUZZLED

Joe Musgrove (2-2) had been impressive in his first four starts for the Pirates after starting the year on the disabled list with right-shoulder problems but the Reds jumped on him the second time through the lineup. Cincinnati scored two runs in the fourth JK Scott Jersey Packers , fifth and sixth and finished 4 for 9 with runners in scoring position after going 0 for 19 in the same situation over the first two games of the series, both losses.

Musgrove was charged with six runs in 4 1/3 innings with a walk and six strikeouts as his ERA jumped from 2.16 to 3.68.

”That’s my first day game in a while,” Musgrove said after temperatures soared into the upper 80s. ”Just trying to get my body alert. It was hot out there. I felt drained.”

UP NEXT

Reds: off Monday then host Detroit in a brief two-game interleague series starting Tuesday when Sal Romano (3-7, 5.67 ERA) faces Matthew Boyd (4-4, 3.23).

Pirates: Welcome Milwaukee to PNC Park for the first time this season when the Brewers come in for a three-game set starting Monday. Trevor Williams (5-4, 4.38 ERA) faces Jhoulys Chacin (6-1, 3.32) in the opener.

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With three days left in the NBA regular season, the Western Conference playoff picture is as murky as a swamp. Five teams are battling for the last four seeds and the order after the top two is still uncertain.

Two of the teams, on different paths, clash Monday night in Denver. The Portland Trail Blazers (48-32) have clinched a spot and are clinging to the third seed but have lost three in a row. The Denver Nuggets (45-35) are sitting ninth but are streaking, having won five straight.

The game has big meaning for both teams. The Blazers are trying to hold off the Utah Jazz to stay in the third spot Authentic DJ Chark Jersey , but they have stumbled. Their postseason seed will likely be determined when they host the Jazz on Wednesday night, but they aren’t worried about their current losing streak.

“We’re good,” guard CJ McCollum said after Saturday night’s loss in San Antonio. “If you had told me that we have 48 wins and have two games left and a chance to finish in third place, I would have told you I’ll take it.

“Considering where we’re at, there’s no excuses for injuries and stuff like that, but I feel like we’re heading in the right direction heading to the playoffs. We should be fully healthy or close to fully healthy and I think that will make a difference.”

Damian Lillard scored 33 points in the loss after missing one game with a sprained left ankle, and he’ll be ready to go against Denver on Monday night.

He’ll need to be the way the Nuggets have played of late. After escaping with two overtime victories last week, Denver has racked up three more solid wins. The 134-115 victory over the Clippers in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon eliminated the Clippers and kept the Nuggets’ playoff hopes alive.

Denver probably must win its last two games — Monday and Wednesday in Minnesota — to make the postseason for the first time in five years, but they are a confident bunch.

“We’re playing get-it-done basketball,” Denver coach Michael Malone said after the win in L.A. “We’re finding ways to get the job done.”

The streak has been impressive because it has come without second leading scorer Gary Harris, who has missed 11 games with a sprained right knee. He isn’t expected back for the remaining two games of the regular season Jaire Alexander Color Rush Jersey , but in his absence others have stepped up.

Lately it has been Will Barton, who had 31 points in Saturday’s win.

“I relish in those moments,” Barton said Saturday. “I’d rather have (Harris) there, of course, especially with what we’re trying to accomplish. But one man down, I just gotta take it upon myself to be better.”

The Nuggets as a whole have been better, and it has put them on the brink of a playoff berth. It won’t be easy. The Trail Blazers are trying to get back on track before the start of the postseason, so both teams will have something big to play for.

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