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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. Dalton Pompey Jersey . The stakes were higher, the competition more fierce and the atmosphere was that of a playoff game - something the young, upstart Raptors have five weeks to better prepare themselves for or the result will be eerily similar. Josh Donaldson Jersey . HEROES Alex Ovechkin – Scored a pair of goals in Washington’s 4-0 win over Pittsburgh. With 13 goals in the past 13 games, Ovechkin now has 29 goals on the season to lead the league. http://www.officialbluejaysgearshop.com/Blue-Jays-Steve-Pearce-Kids-Jersey/ . It was the most lopsided loss in Lakers history. Darren Collison had a team-high 24 points while starting at shooting guard for the injured Jamal Crawford. Chris Paul added 13 points and 11 assists for the Clippers, who apparently are trying to make up for decades of humiliation at the hands of the Lakers all in one season; theyve won the last two meetings by a combined 84 points. Toronto Blue Jays Jerseys . -- The Denver Broncos retired John Elways No. George Bell Jersey . The Red Wings hadnt played the night before. The Boston Bruins had. A month from now, or two months from now, it doesnt matter. But right now it does matter, when you start and you play back to back, its wear and tear on you for sure, Babcock said.He entered college football an undersized, somewhat unknown quarterback from Kerrville, Texas. He leaves as a potential first overall pick, and one of the most dynamic, breath-taking players in college football history. Johnny Manziel declaring for the NFL draft means Texas A & M will have to find a new pivot. It also means college football will have to find a new folk-hero. The numbers Johnny Manziel put up in his all-too brief career read like a stat line from a video game. In a pair of seasons, Johnny Football threw for 7,820 yards, ran for 2,169, and accounted for 93 total touchdowns (63 passing, 30 running). Manziel fell just 11 yards short of becoming the first sophomore in NCAA history to accumulate 10,000 career yards. His 2012 season - in which he became the first redshirt freshman ever to win the Heisman – broke Cam Newtons single season SEC yardage record. His 2013 follow-up ranks second all-time. In all, Manziel set 35 school, conference, and NCAA records in two seasons in College Station. But more than the statistics, its the highlights themselves that blew everyone away. Time and again, Manziel did things on the field that made all of us look around and ask, "did that really just happen?" Who could forget his 2012 fumble-turned-touchdown in A & Ms 29-24 upset of eventual national champion Alabama? Or this past season against the Tide, when Manziel retreated 25 yards behind the line of scrimmage, escaped a defenders grasp and heaved a jump ball to Edward Pope for a first down. In the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Manziel delivered one final trademark moment, a scramble that became a hurdle that became a 19-yard touchdown pass. On the field, Manziel never shied away from the spotlight, delivering over and over in big games. In his two bowl games, Manziel accounted for 9 touchdowns, almost 1000 total yards, and a 72 percent completion rate. As a first-year SEC entrant, all but the most ardent Aggie supporters thought A & M would struggle in 2012. Instead, the 61" redshirt freshman from Tivy High led the Aggies to an 11-2 record that included the shocking upset of Alabama at Bryant-Denny, and a 41-13 blowout of Oklahoma in which Manziel set the Cotton Bowl record with 516 total yards. This past season against Bama, Manziel outdid himself, accounting for 562 total yards and five touchdowns. In his final game against Duke, he led his team back from a 21-point halftime deficit to a 52-48 win. He was named offensive MVP after completing 30 of 38 passes, throwing for 382 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for a team-high 73 yards and a score. Manziels 455 total yards marked thhe ninth time in 26 games in which he amassed more than 450 total yards.dddddddddddd In the 111 years in which Texas A & M has played major college football, only two other players have ever had a 450 yard game. Off the field, there were issues to be sure. Manziels 2012 Heisman campaign almost didnt happen. The 21-year-old was initially suspended by Texas A & M after a June 2012 arrest in connection with a fight in College Station. He has since pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, but Manziel was only reinstated as a redshirt freshman after Sumlin wrote the administration on his behalf. This past season, Manziel was suspended for the first half of Texas A & Ms opener against Rice for inadvertently breaking NCAA rules by signing autographs, after he was alleged to have accepted money from memorabilia brokers to sign. Even after he returned to the field, he grabbed headlines by taunting players, making autograph gestures. But as much as he was a thorn in the side of college footballs governing body, Manziel was also a money maker for it. Just as likely to appear on TMZ as ESPN, Manziels games became appointment viewing more than any other player in the sport. Texas A & Ms September loss to Alabama drew an average of 13.6 million viewers, making it the second highest rated regular season game on the college football schedule. En route to their 9-4 record, the Aggies drew three of the top 15 television audiences of the season. Four separate times they had the highest rated game of the week. And with 8.69 million viewers, Manziels last game was the most viewed non-BCS bowl in ESPN history. Back in September, A & M announced that over the past 12 months, they raised $740 million in fundraising. Thats almost double the highest total raised in any other 12 month period in school history. With the NFL Draft less than four months away, JF is skyrocketing up draft boards. In his first mock draft of the year, draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. has the 21-year-old headed to the Texans as the first overall pick. No matter where he is drafted though, Manziel will continue to excite. No player in college football could turn nothing, into something spectacular, quite like the sophomore. When Manziel declared last week, Sumlin said of his quarterback, "in all of my years of coaching, [he] is the most exciting football player I have ever seen. We appreciate everything [Manziel] has done for Texas A & M and Aggie football and wish him nothing but the best." Not just Aggieland, but the whole of college football should appreciate what he has done as well. Johnny Football will be missed. ' ' '