PITTSBURGH (AP) – Jose Mesa hit Edwin Encarnacion with a pitch to force in the go-ahead run, and the Cincinnati Reds rallied to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 in 10 innings Saturday night.

Sean Casey led off the 10th with a single to right off Mesa (2-7). Austin Kearns followed with walk, and Javier Valentin loaded the bases with a bunt single.

After Encarnacion was plunked to give the Reds their first lead, Mesa struck out Ray Olmedo. But Felipe Lopez’s sacrifice fly to center field scored Kearns, and Wily Mo Pena singled to left to score Valentin.

Reliever David Weathers (7-1) allowed one hit and walked one to earn the victory, Cincinnati’s third straight and fifth in six games.

Kent Mercker earned his fourth save in six opportunities. He allowed the Pirates a run when Humberto Cota doubled home Jason Bay with two outs.

Rich Aurilia’s two-out, two-strike double to right-center field off Mesa tied the game at 1 in the ninth. Aurilia’s second hit of the game scored pinch-hitter Jacob Cruz, who drew a one-out walk. It was Mesa’s fourth blown save in 31 opportunities this season.

Ryan Doumit gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead with a one-out homer in the fourth inning. It was his fourth of the season, the first from the right side for the switch-hitter. It was the 36th homer allowed by starter Eric Milton, tying the Reds record set by Tom Browning in 1988.

Milton allowed six hits in eight innings, striking out seven and walking one.

Pittsburgh starter Josh Fogg allowed four hits in 5 1-3 innings. He walked four, hit one and struck out two, throwing 101 pitches.

John Grabow relieved him and walked Valentin, but Salomon Torres came on to strike out Encarnacion and Milton. Torres also pitched a scoreless seventh.

Cincinnati had the tying run in scoring position in the eighth when Adam Dunn led off with a double off Mike Gonzalez and moved to third on Casey’s groundout. But Rick White, who relieved Gonzalez, got Kearns to ground out to third and struck out Valentin.

Cincinnati stranded 14 runners, seven in scoring position.

Milton pitched out of trouble in the sixth after consecutive one-out singles by Doumit and Ty Wigginton gave Pittsburgh runners at first and third. Milton got Michael Restovich to fly to shallow right and Jack Wilson to pop out to first base.

Ken Griffey Jr., who homered twice Friday, extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a first-inning single off the right-field wall.

Notes: The start of the game was delayed 70 minutes by the threat of rain … Pittsburgh’s Oliver Perez (toe), making his second rehab start at Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, allowed seven runs and did not make it out of the second inning … The Pirates’ Freddie Sanchez got his first career stolen base in the third when he was picked off first base but beat Casey’s throw to second … It was the third extra-inning game for Cincinnati this season and first on the road.

AP-ES-08-27-05 2356EDT