Jesse Winker already had done damage against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with an RBI double to start a three-run rally in the third inning and a two-run single in the sixth.

The Cincinnati Reds All-Star outfielder crushed a three-run homer with an exit velocity in triple digits to put the score in double digits, as the Reds rolled to an 11-3 win Saturday night at Great American Ball Park.

The Reds (60-51) have outscored the Pirates, 58-15, in six games this season. They have won 12 of their last 13 games against the Pirates, and hit three homers against them for the third consecutive game. They clinched a series victory and will try for a four-game sweep on Sunday.

“They have a good lineup and a deep offense,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “When you have a deep offense and you don’t execute pitches, you’re going to pay for it, and we have in this series so far.”

Winker, who went 3 for 5 with six RBIs, sparked a Reds rally with a double off Pirates starter Mitch Keller (3-9) in the third. He added a two-run single off Chasen Shreve in the sixth and smacked the 379-foot homer with an exit velocity of 108.8 mph off Chris Stratton in the eighth.

Bryan Reynolds went 3 for 4 and drove in all three runs for the Pirates (41-70), with a triple in the third and a two-run blast off Brad Brach for his 19th home run in the eighth.

“I was just looking for something elevated,” Reynolds said of Brach’s first-pitch slider. “I figured he’d throw me something offspeed, and yeah, it was a good pitch to hit. It was just kind of one of those where you’re standing there and you get ready, and all of a sudden, the ball’s leaving your bat. It just kind of happens.”

The Pirates also got a big boost from Anthony Alford, who went 3 for 4 with two doubles for his first career three-hit game after being selected Saturday from Triple-A Indianapolis. He also made a diving catch in left field with the bases loaded in the fourth to rob Winker of more RBIs.

Alford had only two hits in his first 24 at bats to start the season with the Pirates before being designated for assignment in late April. He had a 1.013 OPS at Indianapolis, and was coming off a 4-for-5 game with two home runs and five RBIs Friday night at the Iowa Cubs.

“I’m really happy for that guy,” said Keller, who spent time with Alford in Indianapolis last month. “When I was down there, he was raking and it was super fun to watch. I thought any day he could’ve got called up when we were down there. I’m just really excited that he’s getting an opportunity again because I think he’s a really special player and I think he’s going to be huge for us down the road.”

A pair of early baserunning gaffes, however, proved costly for the Pirates. Alford hit a one-out double down the left field line in the second inning but was caught in a rundown. Hoy Park led off the third inning with a single to center but was picked off by Gutierrez at first. Ke’Bryan Hayes followed with a double that would have scored Park, and Reynolds tripled to right to score Hayes.

Instead of a two-run lead, the Pirates were up, 1-0.

“They could have been runs for us,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “Ultimately, with the way the game (went, it) kind of got away from us.”

Keller allowed the leadoff batter to reach base in each of the first two innings but got out of jams in both with a pair of double plays. The third inning, however, saw the Reds score three runs on four hits. After Winker’s double to right tied the game, Nick Castellanos singled in the go-ahead run and Joey Votto hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.

Keller loaded the bases in the fourth, but got Winker to fly out to left to escape without allowing a run. Castellanos led off the fifth with a 356-foot solo homer to right, his 19th of the season, to extend the Reds’ lead to 4-1. Keller allowed seven hits and four walks, striking out four while throwing a career-high 100 pitches before being replaced by the lefty Shreve in the sixth.

“I felt great out there,” Keller said. “Felt really confident, really good about what I was doing. Just a few balls didn’t go my way.”

The Reds got a two-run single on a by Winker – who was batting .165 against lefties – for a 6-1 lead in the sixth.

In the eighth, Hayes drew a two-out walk and Reynolds hit a 420-foot homer to right off Brach to cut it to 6-3.

The Reds scored five runs in the eighth, as Jonathan India had an RBI single to make it 7-3, Winker hit the three-run homer and Joey Votto added a solo shot off Nick Mears for an 11-3 lead.

“They’re a really good lineup,” Keller said. “Hat’s off to them. They’re really hot right now. It’s up to us to try to put it to a stop. They’re swinging it well. It’s just tough.”

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