CINCINNATI — Eugenio Suárez and Joey Votto hit three-run homers in Cincinnati’s six-run second inning, powering the Reds to a 7-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series.

Jonathan India also went deep and pitcher Sonny Gray (4-6) helped himself with two hits as second-place Cincinnati gained a half-game on idle NL Central-leader Milwaukee and a full game on San Diego, which has a three-game lead over the Reds for the second wild-card slot. The Brewers lead Cincinnati by seven games.

The Reds sent 11 batters to the plate against Wil Crowe (3-6) in the second, but only two of their runs were earned after second baseman Wilmer Difo was charged with an error. Suárez, batting .176 going into the game and hitting eighth for the first time since 2019 and eighth since joining the Reds in 2015, followed by going to opposite field with a shot to right field.

Votto, who hit at least one homer in a franchise-record seven straight games during the last week of July, added a two-out homer that cleared the right-center field fence above the 370-foot marker.

Gray allowed one hit over his first four innings before last-place Pittsburgh sent nine batters to the plate in a five-hit, four-run fifth. One of the hits was Hoy Park’s chopper to Votto at first. Votto had Wilmer Difo trapped off third, but Difo scrambled back safely when nobody covered third.

Gray gave up six hits and four runs with two walks and seven strikeouts in five innings. Jeff Hoffman and Justin Wilson combined for three scoreless relief innings before Mychal Givens pitched the ninth for his first save.

India hammered a 3-2 pitch over the sixth row of the second deck in left field for his third career leadoff home run, just missing the “K” row keeping track of Reds pitchers strikeouts.

Crowe gave up eight hits and seven runs, three earned, with two walks and five strikeouts in four innings. He also hit a batter.

Trainer’s Room

Pirates: LF Ben Gamel was scratched from the original starting lineup because of hamstring tightness.