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CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The Pirates are one win away from hosting a playoff game. Marlon Byrd had three hits and Pedro Alvarez hit a two-run homer high off the batters eye on Friday night, leading Pittsburgh over the Cincinnati Reds 4-1 in a series that will decide which one hosts the NL wild-card game. Both teams clinched post-season berths this week. The Pirates chances of winning the NL Central ended later Friday night when St. Louis beat the Cubs 7-0 to clinch the title. So now it comes down to the wild-card playoff next Tuesday night, and the Pirates are one win away from taking it to PNC Park. Nice way to start a decisive series. "Its huge," Byrd said. "We want to get that one-game playoff in Pittsburgh." Byrd and Alvarez provided all of the Pirates runs off Homer Bailey (11-12), who is struggling with his control heading into the post-season. A.J. Burnett (10-11) handled the Reds slumping lineup, allowing Todd Fraziers homer and five hits overall in eight innings. Jason Grilli gave up a hit in the ninth while getting his 33rd save in 35 chances. "It gives us some momentum, no doubt about that," manager Clint Hurdle said. "When you pretty much dominate through eight innings, it sparks everybody. Thats what we were looking for from him." Cincinnati has lost three straight and scored one run in the last 22 innings. "Once I got that (homer), I thought we might get a spark going, but we couldnt find it," Frazier said. The bruising, tight-as-could-be series has gone up and down the Ohio River all summer long with neither team able to get much advantage. The Pirates lead the series 9-8. Fourteen of the 17 games have been decided by three runs or less. Batters have been plunked 26 times during the season series, most in the majors this year. Its the biggest series between them since 1990, when the Reds beat Barry Bonds and the Pirates to reach the World Series, where they swept Oakland for their last title. The Pirates got the early advantage in this decisive series by beating Bailey, who threw the first of his two no-hitters at PNC Park on Sept. 28 last year. Since then, hes failed to beat the Pirates in four starts, going 0-3. Control has been a problem lately. He helped the Pirates load the bases in the third on a hit batter and a pair of walks, and Byrd -- an August trade acquisition from the Mets -- singled through the hole at shortstop for a 2-0 lead. Byrd doubled off the top of the wall in centre field to open the sixth, and Alvarez hit his 35th homer high off the batters eye for a 4-1 lead that ended Baileys outing. He gave up four runs, four hits, four walks, hit two batters and threw a wild pitch. "Any time you can get separation in the lead against a team like the Reds, its huge," Alvarez said. "Thats why we were all pretty excited. You can never have too much breathing room with those guys." Burnett handled Cincinnatis slumping lineup, retiring the last 10 batters he faced. Frazier hit his 19th homer off the screen on the left-field foul pole in the fourth, ending Cincinnatis streak of 16 scoreless innings. Burnett also beat the Reds and Bailey 4-2 last Saturday at PNC Park, allowing only four hits and fanning 12 in seven innings. He followed that outing by getting the Pirates off to the start they wanted at Great American Ball Park. "Anytime you come into somebody elses house in the first game, you want to do that," Burnett said. "It just happens to be an important part of the season." Joey Votto singled twice, surpassing Pete Roses club record of reaching base 311 times in a season. NOTES: The Reds wore their Los Rojos jerseys to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. ... Hurdle will change his starting pitcher on Sunday if nothings at stake. RH Gerrit Cole (10-7) is scheduled to go against RH Johnny Cueto (5-2). Hurdle would keep Cole available as insurance for the wild-card game on Tuesday. ... Alvarezs homer gave him 99 RBIs. ... Reds manager Dusty Baker doesnt plan to use LH Tony Cingrani in relief during the series. Cingrani is recovering from his second bout of back spasms. ... Bronson Arroyo (14-11) starts on Saturday against Pittsburghs Charlie Morton (7-4). Morton has given up only one run in his last three starts at Great American Ball Park, throwing two complete games. Cheap Rays Jerseys Authentic .com) - A pair of programs shooting for their 10th win of the season get together at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, as the NC State Wolfpack tangle with 22nd-ranked West Virginia during the challenge round of the Gotham Classic. Cheap Wade Boggs Jersey . The Canadian defensive tackle suffered the injury on Monday and had tests done on Tuesday. He was a potential starter on the defensive line but head coach Mike OShea said he wasnt even thinking about the ratio when he got the news. http://www.cheapraysjerseys.com/. - Mike Magee converted two penalty kicks in a 10-minute span of the first half and the Chicago Fire beat Sporting Kansas City 2-1 on Sunday. Wholesale Rays Jerseys . Modin, 36, tallied seven goals and three assists in 36 games with the Thrashers this season. The Sundsvall, Sweden, native has posted 232 goals and 230 assists in 894 career NHL games with Toronto, Tampa Bay, Columbus, Los Angeles and Atlanta and has appeared in 57 post-season contests, helping the Lightning capture the 2004 Stanley Cup Championship. Cheap Rays Jerseys China . Dumont, a fifth round draft pick of the Canadiens in 2009, has four assists and 20 penalty minutes in 12 games with the Bulldogs this season. The 23-year-old split last season between Hamilton and Montreal, recording 16 goals and 15 assists in 55 regular season games with the Bulldogs.SAN FRANCISCO -- Ian Desmond had a career-high five RBIs and Stephen Strasburg won his third straight decision for the Washington Nationals in their 9-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night. Denard Span added a triple and two doubles to help the Nationals win for the eighth time in 10 games. Desmond had three hits and Jayson Werth drove in two runs. San Francisco had its five-game winning streak snapped. Strasburg (6-4) allowed four hits over six innings and retired his final 10 hitters. He struck out seven and did not walk a batter, improving to 3-0 against the Giants with 29 strikeouts in 25 innings. Nationals starters have struck out 52 and walked one in their last seven games. Ryan Vogelsong (4-3) retired 10 of 11 batters during one stretch and pitched into the seventh. But he gave up six runs and nine hits, ending his three-game winning streak. Desmond, who owns a .373 career batting average against the Giants, also has an impressive .434 mark (23 for 53) with 51 RBIs with the bases loaded. His two-run single with the sacks full in the third gave Washington a 4-1 llead.dddddddddddd Desmond tripled home a run in the second and added a two-run double in the seventh. Werth drove in the Nationals first run in the first inning and added an RBI single in the seventh. He also scored on an error. The Giants scored their first run in the second. Tyler Colvin doubled with one out and came home on Brandon Crawfords single. Joaquin Arias added an RBI single in the eighth. Strasburg struck out the first batter he faced in four of his six innings. He also ended three innings with a strikeout. NOTES: Nationals INF Anthony Rendon (sore right hand) was out of the starting lineup for a third straight game. Hes expected to start Tuesday. ... Giants OF Angel Pagan was out of the lineup with a bruised right shin. ... Giants RHP Santiago Casilla is expected to start a rehab assignment at Class-A San Jose on Wednesday or Thursday. ... RHP Doug Fister (4-1, 3.19 ERA) pitches Tuesday for the Nationals. Hes walked two batters in 36 2-3 innings this year. LHP Madison Bumgarner (8-3, 2.86) starts for the Giants. Hes on a six-game winning streak. ' ' '