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Jeff Locke Leads As Pittsburgh Pirates Squirrel Away Fourth Consecutive Victory

By Matt Gajtka

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Sep 8, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jeff Locke (49) pitches during the first inning of a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Jeff Locke‘s long-term fate with the Pittsburgh Pirates may be uncertain, but his performance Monday night was enormous for the team’s immediate future.

Locke limited the Philadelphia Phillies to one run through seven innings, a dominant nine-strikeout effort that boosted the Bucs to a 6-4 victory at Citizens Bank Park.

The Pirates (75-68) have won four in a row, although Monday evening didn’t finish as smoothly at it could have. After Starling Marte staked Pittsburgh to a 2-1 lead with two-run homer in the fifth off Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick, the Bucs scored four in the eighth to seemingly put the game away.

However, reliever Jared Hughes was charged with three runs (one earned) as Philadelphia reinserted some drama into the proceedings. After a one-out single and a hit batsman, shortstop Jordy Mercer made an error on a routine ground ball, inspiring Pirates manager Clint Hurdle to replace Hughes with Tony Watson.

Watson retired Cesar Hernandez on a sacrifice fly to make it 6-2 with two outs, but Chase Ultey laced a two-run double to bring the tying run to the plate. Watson then hit Ryan Howard with a 1-2 pitch before getting former Pirate Marlon Byrd to ground out to Mercer, who amended for his previous bobble.

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Mark Melancon tossed a perfect ninth inning to boost the Pirates 1 1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee and Atlanta – both of whom lost Monday – for the National League’s second wild card spot. Pittsburgh will gun for its first five-game winning streak of the season Tuesday night in the second of a four-game set against the Phillies.

Marte and Andrew McCutchen were essential offensive cogs Monday, with each collecting three hits. Mercer and third baseman Brent Morel, playing in place of the injured Josh Harrison, had two hits apiece. Mercer stroked a pair of doubles, including an RBI drive in the eighth against reliever Jake Diekman.

Morel (double), Neil Walker (single) and pinch-hitter Gaby Sanchez (sacrifice fly) also drove in runs in the eighth, when five of the first six Pirates reached base off Kendrick and Diekman. McCutchen had infield singles in the final two frames, giving him his third consecutive three-hit game and boosting his batting average to .311.

The early story was Locke, though. The left-hander responded to a wild start at St. Louis last week with his second win of the season over Philadelphia. Locke didn’t walk a single batter – usually a good omen for him – and retired the first 10 batters until Jimmy Rollins‘ one-out triple in the fourth.

Howard drove home Rollins with a shallow single two batters later, but that’s all the Phillies (66-77) could manage until the eighth. Locke finished his virtuoso night with three perfect innings. Another sign of his dominance? He induced 11 groundouts and only one flyout.

BOX SCORE

Philadelphia’s David Buchanan opposes Edinson Volquez on Tuesday in another 7:05 p.m. start at Citizens Bank Park.