Cincinnati ? Craig Wilson and Jimmy Anderson pried first place out of the Cincinnati Reds’ desperate grasp.

Wilson homered for the third straight game and Anderson pitched a five-hitter Sunday, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-1 victory that ended the Reds’ long stay alone on top of the NL Central.

After rallying to win the first two games of the series and hold off St. Louis, the Reds slipped into a first-place tie when the Cardinals beat Kansas City 5-1 later in the afternoon.

The Reds had been in first place all by themselves since April 26, a span of 51 days.

It stung to see it finally slip away.

“It’s always great to be in first place,” said Jimmy Haynes (7-6), who gave up two homers. “It always gives you a little confidence. We’ve been in a little skid lately. We need to turn it around.”

The Pirates also have been struggling, losing three in a row before salvaging the final game.

Wilson had a three-run homer and a run-scoring single, matching his career high with four RBIs, and Kevin Young added a solo homer as the Ohio River rivals finished with one more long-ball binge. There were 11 homers in the three games, accounting for 16 of the 20 runs.

The Reds hit five of the homers all off the Pirates’ bullpen as they won the first two games with big-swing comebacks and extended their stay in first place.

They couldn’t do anything against Anderson (6-8), who held them to four singles, a double and five walks during his third career complete game. He induced three double plays and 15 ground-ball outs.

“He was pretty nasty today,” said Sean Casey, who was 0-for-3. “He was cutting it, sinking it nothing was straight. That’s why he got so many ground balls.”

Anderson lost his shutout after Austin Kearns doubled to open the ninth and came around on grounders by Casey and Aaron Boone, leaving him without a shutout in 78 career starts.

“It would have been good,” said Anderson, who threw 100 pitches. “I was kind of mad when the guy was running in from third base, but I still had to get an out. It was good to get the complete game and give the bullpen a rest.”

Two of his complete games have come against the Reds. He gave up two runs as he went the distance against them in Pittsburgh on Sept. 8.

Ken Griffey Jr. was out of the Reds’ lineup for the eighth straight game since straining his right hamstring. He pinch hit in the fifth and flied out.

The Reds are hoping to get Griffey back in the lineup during a three-game series against his former Seattle teammates beginning Tuesday in Cincy.