PITTSBURGH -- Jesse Winker is taking the simple approach. It suits the Cincinnati Reds rookie right fielder.

Winker, who was called up Tuesday, hit his second career homer in as many nights Wednesday, a tiebreaking shot in the seventh inning, to help the Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 at PNC Park.

The Pirates had come back from two runs down to tie it 2-2 in the sixth.

Winker, who singled and scored in the fourth, went to the plate with one out in the seventh to face 40-year-old reliever Joaquin Benoit (1-5), who was making his Pittsburgh debut after being acquired from Philadelphia on Monday.

"I was just trying to put together a good at-bat," Winker said. "I tried to put the barrel on the ball and like (Tuesday), it just happened to get up and get out. I was just trying to battle. Be a tough out."

The homer came on a 2-2 pitch.

"I got down two strikes pretty quick. I was kind of willing to battle the splitter. ... He gave me the fastball I was looking for, and I just tried to put a good swing on it," Winker said.

Reds manager Bryan Price was impressed with the at-bat.

"Benoit is no walk in the park to hit off of," Price said. "This guy's been really good for a long time. He's still throwing hard. He's still locating. He's still doing a lot of things. That's a great arm."

Adam Duvall added a two-run blast in the ninth off Pirates closer Felipe Rivero to give the Reds some breathing room.

Cincinnati (44-63), which has won three straight, improved to 8-1 this year against the Pirates (51-56), who lost their second in a row.

Cincinnati reliever Michael Lorenzen (6-2) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win. Raisel Iglesias worked the final two innings and picked up his 18th save.

Reds starter Robert Stephenson pitched two-hit ball for 5 2/3 innings and allowed one run, struck out four and walked two. He set down nine Pirates in a row between the second and fourth innings.

Stephenson still didn't get his first win of the season -- he's 0-4 -- but he wasn't griping.

"I want to build on this one," he said. "I was able to get ahead on guys a lot better this time and when I got ahead, it was obviously a lot easier to work."

Pittsburgh starter Trevor Williams allowed two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts and two walks. He entered the game with a 10.00 ERA in four career appearances, one of them a start, against the Reds.

The Reds continued their dominance of the Pirates without a huge contribution from Billy Hamilton, who entered the game hitting .315 in his career against Pittsburgh and a night earlier hit a three-run homer and tripled and scored in a 9-1 win. On Wednesday, he was 0-for-4 before singling in the ninth.

"Just keeping the fastball down," Williams said of what works against Hamilton. "The more pitches you throw to the guy, I think the better he gets. So I think it's just getting him out as fast as possible."

Williams allowed one baserunner through the first three innings, Jose Peraza's leadoff single in the third

In the fourth, the Reds scored a run against him. Winker led off with a single up the middle, went to third on Joey Votto's single to right and scored on Duvall's sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.

In the fifth, Cincinnati chased Williams, who left with the bases loaded and one out after a double by Votto, an infield single by Scooter Gennett and a walk to Eugenio Suarez.

"It's closing in on 100 pitches," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said of Williams, who threw 95 pitches. "I just think the tank was running a little bit lower than it was at the start."

Reliever Daniel Hudson got Peraza to fly out but walked Tucker Barnhart to give the Reds a 2-0 lead before striking out Stephenson to end the inning.

Pittsburgh tied it in the sixth. Starling Marte led off with a bunt single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Stephenson got the next two batters but was then pulled. Lorenzen gave up back-to-back RBI hits to Josh Bell and Adam Frazier to make it 2-2.

NOTES: Pittsburgh 2B Josh Harrison missed a second straight start after leaving Sunday's game because of left lower leg discomfort, although he appeared as a pinch-hitter. ... Pittsburgh LHP Wade LeBlanc was placed on the bereavement list due to an illness in his family. ... Pittsburgh RHP Dovydas Neverauskas was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. ... Pittsburgh RF Gregory Polanco (left hamstring strain) was reinstated from the DL and started. ... Pittsburgh OF Jordan Luplow was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. ... Cincinnati CF Billy Hamilton was back in the lineup after leaving Tuesday's game because of an ankle issue. ... Cincinnati RF Scott Schebler, who went on the DL Tuesday, has a bruised rotator cuff and will be out "a few weeks," but won't need surgery, manager Bryan Price said.