Burnett, Pirates end losing streak with blowout in Houston
By Matt Gajtka
After scoring two runs combined Friday and Saturday, the Pittsburgh Pirates offense provided sweet relief Sunday afternoon with a no-doubt win.
A.J. Burnett pitched eight innings of one-run baseball and the Pirates came up with 18 hits in their final National League game in Houston, beating the last-place Astros 8-1 at Minute Maid Park to end a crippling five-game losing streak.
The Astros (50-103), who have lost 100 games for the second straight season, won the first two games of the weekend series, dropping the Pirates (75-77) out of realistic postseason contention. But Pittsburgh responded behind Burnett, who struck out 11 while allowing four hits and a walk. He threw 74 of 109 pitches for strikes.
As good as the Pirates’ pitching was, the offensive attack was just as welcome. Josh Harrison’s four hits keyed the 18-hit output, one shy of the team’s season high set in late June against St. Louis. Only three of the 18 hits were for extra bases, a departure from Pittsburgh’s season-long trend of low on-base percentage and above-average power.
September 7, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Josh Harrison (5) runs the bases on his way to scoring a run against the Chicago Cubs during the eighth inning at PNC Park. The Chicago Cubs won 12-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE
Andrew McCutchen collected one of those extra-base hits, a double, and went 2-for-5 on the day to keep his batting average at .336, marginally ahead of San Francisco’s Buster Posey, McCutchen’s main competition for the NL batting title; Posey entered the day hitting .333. The Giants have nine games left while the Pirates have 10.
Gaby Sanchez, Alex Presley, Rod Barajas and Clint Barmes each collected a pair of hits despite hitting below .240 on the season. Sanchez, Barajas and Barmes each drove in a run during the fifth, when a scoreless game transformed into a 4-0 Pirates lead.
Astros interim manager Tony DeFrancesco made an unusual decision in that fifth inning, removing starter Jordan Lyles after he loaded the bases with no outs. Lyles had thrown 79 pitches and had yet to allow a run, but DeFrancesco replaced him with lefty Wesley Wright to face Garrett Jones.
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle pinch-hit righty Gaby Sanchez for Jones, and Wright promptly hit Sanchez with a pitch to force in the game’s first run. Pedro Alvarez struck out looking against Wright, but Jose Tabata hit for Travis Snider and walked to push another run across.
Clint Barmes and Rod Barajas, both with OBPs well below .300, each singled in a run to cap the inning. In the sixth, McCutchen ripped an RBI double off the tall wall in left-center to make it 5-0 Bucs.
Houston’s Scott Moore, who had doubled in the first, homered in the bottom of the sixth, the only run Burnett allowed.
The Pirates poured on three more in the eighth to remove all doubt, as Alvarez, Tabata and Burnett collected RBI singles off Astros relievers Enerio Del Rosario and Rhiner Cruz.
Chad Qualls, who memorably helped blow a three-run eighth-inning lead Thursday vs. Milwaukee, got a much easier assignment this time around, and the maligned veteran handled the ninth without incident. The next time the Pirates play Houston, the Astros will be in the American League West, as the franchise switches leagues after 50 years of existence.
As for the Pirates, the playoffs are a distant dream (the Cardinals are 6 1/2 games ahead of them for the last wild card spot) but finishing at .500 or above is still realistic. Pittsburgh must go at least 6-4 the rest of the way to break even and end a 19-year streak of losing seasons.
The Pirates start a four-game series in New York against the Mets Monday night. Rookie Kyle McPherson gets his second MLB start, while Jenrry Mejia will oppose for the Mets (69-83).