CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- It's not often you associate talent and depth with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Pirates continued their best start in 10 years as Reggie Sanders went 4-for-5 with two homers and five RBI against his former team in a 7-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
Rob Mackowiak added three of the team's 12 hits, helping the Pirates to their first 3-0 start since 1993. They had not swept Cincinnati since August 1998.
"This was good baseball for us," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "We had it all going. Pitching was good, baserunning, hitting, and the bullpen was outstanding. We have the type of talent and depth to sustain a win streak and stop a losing streak."
Sanders was the star of the three-game set at the new Great American Ball Park, going 7-for-11 with three homers and seven RBI. The Pirates totaled 24 runs and 34 hits, including eight homers.
"They pounded us pretty good, no question about that," Reds manager Bob Boone said.
Sanders tied the series finale at 1-1 with an RBI single in the second inning, made it 5-1 with a three-run homer off Jimmy Anderson in the third and increased the lead to 7-3 with a solo shot in the fifth.
It was the 19th career multi-homer game and ninth four-hit contest for Sanders, who credited the new park.
"This is definitely a hitter's ballpark," he said of Cincinnati's new stadium, which replaced Cinergy Field. "The ball travels to right field. The wind is a factor like Candlestick, but not as bad. It reminds me more of Arlington."
Sanders has found a new home with Pittsburgh - his sixth team in as many seasons. He began his career in Cincinnati, where he played from 1991-98.
"It's always a little added incentive to come to the town where you started," said Sanders, who hit .306 with 28 homers, 99 RBI and 36 stolen bases for the Reds in 1995.
Pittsburgh hit just 142 homers last year, the third-lowest total in the National League.
The Pirates took the lead for good, 2-1, on Brian Giles' RBI double in the third inning. Aramis Ramirez accounded for the other run, making it 6-3 with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
Josh Fogg (1-0) benefited from the offensive outburst, picking up the win despite allowing five runs - four earned - and six hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. He knew who to thank.
"The guys swing the bats well," the righthander said. "I give them all the credit."
Four relievers combined for 2 1/2 scoreless frames, including Mike Williams, who retired the final two batters for his second save.
Anderson (0-1) wasn't as lucky as Fogg in the first meeting against the team that decided against tendering him a contract in the offseason. The lefthander surrendered seven runs and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings.
"We tried to be patient and make him elevate the ball. It paid off for us," McClendon said of the sinkerballer. "Jimmy is a competitor. He wants to be out there and he wants to win. You have to respect him for that."
Anderson played right into the Pirates' hands.
"Everytime I got the ball up, I paid for it," he said.
Sean Casey and Aaron Boone both hit two-run homers off Fogg, but the Reds couldn't overcome their shaky pitching, becoming the second National League team to go 0-3.
"When you give up 24 runs in three games," Boone said, "I'm big time concerned."
