CINCINNATI — Eugenio Suarez wanted to hit one deep enough to get the runner in from third base. He got all of a hanging slider — and four runs with one swing.

Suarez hit a grand slam off Ivan Nova, who dropped his sixth straight start against Cincinnati, and Jesse Winker added a solo shot Thursday as the Reds pulled away to a 5-4 victory over the slumping Pittsburgh Pirates.

Suarez’s third career grand slam off Nova (2-5) went farther than he’d hoped, landing a few rows deep in the left field seats.

“If there’s a guy on third and less than two outs, I’ll at least try to get a sacrifice fly,” said Suarez, who leads the team with 38 RBIs. “It was a breaking ball down and it. I was able to catch it right at the break.”

The Reds took two of three in the series, completing a 3-4 homestand. Pittsburgh has dropped five of six.

Luis Castillo (4-4) gave up four hits in six innings, including a two-run homer by David Freese . Castillo has allowed two earned runs or less in each of his last five starts.

Austin Meadows hit his second homer of the series, a two-run shot off Amir Garrett in the ninth that cut it to 5-4. Jared Hughes got the last two outs for his second save. The Reds are without closer Raisel Iglesias, who went on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday with a strained biceps in his non-throwing arm.

Nova had another tough time against the Reds, extending his streak into a new season. The right-hander lost his last start against Cincinnati in 2016 and went 0-4 in four starts last year, three of them at Great American Ball Park. He had a big role in his latest undoing.

Nova hadn’t walked a batter in his last two starts, but opened the third inning by walking Castillo. He also had a throwing error on Scooter Gennett’s comeback grounder that helped the Reds load the bases. Suarez hit his third career grand slam on a hanging slider.

“I’m just missing,” Nova said. “In the first few innings, I felt really good. I got into that one inning, and I walk the pitcher to start the inning. On the groundball, I miss (retiring) the guy at first base.”

It’s been a rough month all around for the most experienced starter on the staff. Nova is 0-4 in five May starts with a 7.60 ERA.

“He’s the healthiest he’s been,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “It’s just inconsistency. That’s kind of where we are. He’s doing everything he can to get himself in a better place.”