CINCINNATI -- Starting pitcher Wade Miley has remarked in self-deprecating fashion -- more than once -- that he can't lose when the Reds' offense scores 10 runs for him when he's on the mound. But seriously folks, Miley is right.

For the sixth time this season during a Miley start, the Reds scored double-digit runs for a victory. On Friday, they used a seven-run first inning and three home runs to pummel the Pirates, 10-0, at Great American Ball Park.

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"Hopefully we can do it again in five days," Miley said. "It was fun, it’s fun to sit over there and watch the boys hit doubles and homers, and it’s exciting. Fans love it."

Cincinnati has won eight of its last 10 games and improved to a season-high eight games over .500 at 59-51. Its lineup has scored at least five runs in 13 of the last 14 games and 89 runs during the stretch for an average of 6.4 runs per game. With the Padres losing to the D-backs on Friday night, the Reds are now just 2 1/2 games back of San Diego for the second NL Wild Card spot.

And the lineup keeps adding reinforcements. On Thursday, Nick Castellanos returned from the injured list and on Friday, it was Mike Moustakas who was activated from the IL after a 68-game absence with two different forms of plantar fasciitis.

"I think it kind of shows when Nick misses a little bit of time or anybody, Moose obviously, has missed a little bit of time, the next guy has stepped up and produced and put together good at-bats and put us in a situation where we expect to win," catcher Tucker Barnhart said. "I just think it speaks to the character of the team that we have and the guys and the staff that we have that expect the most out of us on a daily basis. It’s been fun to be a part of it. We just have to keep going."

Moustakas made an immediate offensive impact, going 3-for-4 with three doubles and two runs scored.

In the first inning against Pirates starter JT Brubaker with the bases loaded and one out, Moustakas scorched a two-run double that rolled to the right-field wall as Jesse Winker and Castellanos scored.

The 27,804 fans in attendance roared to life and chanted "Moooose."

"To not play for as long as I have and to be able to come back and just stand in the box and have an opportunity to drive in some runs with the bases loaded, couldn't have really drawn it up any better," Moustakas said. "It was so much fun to be able to get out there and have fun playing baseball again. I was kind of tired of watching."

Hot-hitting Kyle Farmer kept the rally going with a two-run single to center field. Two batters later, Barnhart lifted a Brubaker first pitch for a three-run homer to right field and a 7-0 Reds lead.

Leading off the second inning, Winker hit a 1-1 pitch for a homer to left-center field and tied for the team lead with 22 homers this season. Following a Moustakas two-out double, Farmer hit an RBI single to left field to make it 9-0.

"Any time we get one of our players back, especially someone like Moose, it is energizing," Reds manager David Bell said. "The closer we get to having our full team back, it’s just another step in the right direction. I still go back to what we were able to do before we were getting guys back and guys were stepping up and doing a little bit extra. I still think we’re going to be better off in the end because of that, but it sure is nice getting him back.”

The 10th run came with one out in the sixth when Jonathan India slugged a 3-2 pitch from Kyle Keller to left field for a solo homer. India has 13 homers this season with three in his last four games and five over his last seven.

Meanwhile, Miley made things easier for himself with a strong performance. Over his seven scoreless innings, he gave up six hits and two walks with five strikeouts. The left-hander improved to 9-4 with a 2.75 ERA and has not had a losing decision since May 19 -- a 12-game streak without a loss.

"In my mind, I’m going out there thinking it’s 0-0, 1-0," Miley said of the early big lead. "I was trying to keep that competitive thought in my head and go out and compete and make pitches like it was a close ballgame. You can get a little comfortable out there, and I did not want to do that."

Cincinnati is 7-1 versus the Pirates this season. In what could be an important factor as the club tries to catch the Brewers in the National League Central race or the Padres in the NL Wild Card battle, the Reds still have 11 more games against Pittsburgh out of their final 52.

"This is what you dream about as a little kid, showing up to the field every day with a chance to get to the postseason," Moustakas said. "It's just a lot of fun to go on the field and play baseball with this team."