PITTSBURGH -- Parts of Trevor Williams' stat line from Sunday's game didn't look so hot -- eight hits and a walk.

But the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander spread those baserunners out effectively, struck out five and got a double play over seven innings in a 3-1 win against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park.

Cincinnati was 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position against Williams.

"You make your biggest pitches of the game out of the stretch. Those are the pitches that hold the most merit," said Williams (6-7), who had been 0-3 over his previous four starts.

"It was just having no panic and using that sinker at the bottom of the zone."

Williams is one of several young pitchers in the Pittsburgh organization, and he uses that as motivation.

"That's what I flourish on -- pitching with a sense of urgency and like my job depends on it," he said. "We have a lot of good guys coming up through the minors. It's one of those things. Do your job and do it now and do it right."

And do it efficiently.

"I keep clocks on guys," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "He's getting the ball, he's getting the sign and he's pitching. There's no pacing around. There's no hoping they disappear. He knows the only way to get rid of them is to get them out or get a double play ball and get moving."

The Pirates (65-72) got home runs from Jordy Mercer and Starling Marte as they made the most of just five hits. They took two of three in the weekend series and moved seven games ahead of the last-place Reds (58-79) in the National League Central.

Felipe Rivero got his 17th save despite giving up an unearned run in the ninth.

Cincinnati starter Sal Romano (4-6), coming off of three straight quality starts, gave up two runs (one earned) and four hits over 5 2/3 innings, with four walks and two strikeouts.

He developed a friction cut on the last knuckle of his right hand that limited his breaking ball, and that led to him getting pulled in the sixth with the bases loaded after having given up a run that inning. Reliever Kevin Shackleford came on to strike out Mercer to end the inning.

"It happened in the third or fourth inning," Romano said of the cut. "I pitched through it. Toward the sixth inning, I had to fall away from (the breaking ball) because I didn't want it break open or anything. That's no excuse. (Shackleford) came in and was able to get the guy out.

"It's happened once before in my career. It's not a big deal at all."

Romano also doubled in the third for his first major league hit, walked and barehanded a comeback grounder to make the final out of the fifth.

Reds manager Bryan Price said if not for the issue with the cut, he would have left Romano in.

"I thought today might have been his best stuff," Price said. "Certainly it was his best velocity. Really good fastball command."

Billy Hamilton led off the game with a single -- he opened each of the three games in the series with a hit -- and was bunted to second by Jose Peraza. Williams then picked Hamilton off second, a big play considering Joey Votto followed with a double. Williams stranded Votto by getting Adam Duvall to fly out.

Romano led off the third with a double that bounced into the stands in left field.

"I knew I hit it pretty good. I kind of surprised myself a little bit," Romano said.

He moved to third on Hamilton's sacrifice bunt but got stranded.

Mercer led off the Pittsburgh third with a homer to left-center, his 13th to set a single-season career high and produce a 1-0 lead.

"He has been steadfast in his approach and his consistency from opening day until now," Hurdle said of Mercer. "There's been some lulls and ups and downs. He's not trying to hit for power. He's trying to put good swings on balls."

Pirates' rookies chipped in to up the lead to 2-0 in the sixth. Max Moroff led off with a double off the wall in right and, an out later, moved to third on Josh Bell's single to left. Jordan Luplow -- who Saturday got his first two big-league hits, including a homer -- drove Moroff home with a single to left.

After Eliaz Dias hit into a fielder's choice and Sean Rodriguez walked, Shackleford came in to squash the threat.

Marte smacked his fifth homer, to the bushes below the batter's eye in center, with one out in the seventh to make it 3-0.

Cincinnati broke up the shutout in the ninth. With two outs, pinch hitter Zack Cozart reached on Moroff's error at second, allowing Scooter Gennett to score from third to make it 3-1.

NOTES: Pittsburgh 2B Josh Harrison's season is expected to be over. He was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a broken bone in his left hand, the result of his league-leading 23rd hit by pitch Saturday night. ... Pittsburgh INF/OF Chris Bostick was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. ... Cincinnati C Tucker Barnhart was activated from the paternity list, but he will not rejoin the club until it returns home Monday.