Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Andrew McCutchen drove in three runs during
a four-hit night and Wandy Rodriguez earned a victory against his former
team, as the Pittsburgh Pirates dumped the Houston Astros, 6-2, to snap a
four-game losing streak.
Rodriguez (10-13), acquired from the Astros for three minor leaguers in July,
scattered four hits and one walk while striking out seven over seven shutout
innings.
Brock Holt, in his fourth career game, went 4-for-5 with two runs scored out
of the leadoff spot for the Pirates, who lost the opener of this three-game
series, 5-1, on Monday.
Pittsburgh is 2 1/2 games back of a wild card spot.
Jordan Lyles (3-11) surrendered five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits and
one walk over 4 2/3 innings to take the loss, Houston's eighth in its last 10
games.
Brett Wallace and Chris Snyder each drove in a run off Pittsburgh's bullpen in
the eighth inning, but by then the Astros trailed, 6-0.
McCutchen pulled one down the third-base line in the first inning, and the
ricochet off the stands in foul territory allowed Travis Snider to score from
first.
Run-scoring singles by McCutchen and Garrett Jones in the third made it 3-0,
and the Pirates tacked on three more in the fifth -- the first coming on
another RBI single by McCutchen.
The other two runs came around to score when Tyler Greene missed a routine
pop-up in the infield, and the hosts rolled from there.
Game Notes
Rain delayed the start of the game one hour, 15 minutes ... The Pirates
improved to 41-27 at home this year, clinching their second-ever winning
season at PNC Park (2006) ... Snider exited the game after scoring in the
first inning with discomfort in his right hamstring ... McCutchen has six
four-hit games this season ... Rodriguez threw 61 of his 89 pitches for
strikes.
The Sports Network