Jose Cisnero pitched 3 2/3 innings of shutout ball and allowed the Houston offense to plate two runs in the 11th as the Astros defeated the Pirates 4-2, Saturday night.
AJ Burnett allowed five hits, one run, and walked four while striking out seven over seven innings. His counterpart, former Pirate Erik Bedard, threw six innings allowing seven hits and two runs while striking out three.
The Astros loaded the bases with one out in the top half of the first, but AJ Burnett struck out Chris Carter and Carlos Pena to end the threat.
The Pirates answered with a run in the bottom of the inning after back to back two-out doubles from Andrew McCutchen and Gaby Sanchez.
Both starters would put up zeroes until Altuve’s RBI single in the fifth inning.
Marwin Gonzalez led off with a ground ball to second base. The play looked routine but AJ Burnett and Gaby Sanchez were both trying to cover first base and Neil Walker’s throw went between them. Gonzalez was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Bedard, then to third on a groundout by Robbie Grossman. Jose Altuve drove in Gonzalez with a high chopper to third base that handcuffed Brandon Inge.
Inge would have a chance to get the run back, and the lead, for the Pirates.
Jose Tabata led off with a bunt single down the third base line and made it to third on McCutchen’s double down the left field line. Gaby Sanchez popped out to the shortstop Marwin Gonzalez. Russell Martin followed that up with a ground ball to third which erased Tabata at the plate. With two outs and runners on the corners, Inge laced a single between third and short to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead.
The Pirates were threatening in the seventh inning and in stepped Cisnero, a rookie with a 5.02 ERA. With first base open, the Astros elected to intentionally walk Andrew McCutchen. Gaby Sanchez worked a full count, but Cisnero froze the first baseman on a fastball that caught the outside corner for a called strike three.
“Anytime you get that kind of push from one guy out of your bullpen; he probably deserved to get the win and the save,” said Clint Hurdle.
The Astros took advantage of the Pirates’ missed opportunity by cashing in on their own. Trevor Crowe and Jose Altuve both hit ground ball singles off of Mark Melancon to start the top of the eighth. Chris Carter hit a one out RBI single to tie the game at two. It was just the second run allowed by Melancon all season, the first being on April 14th against the Cincinnati Reds.
In the 11th, the Astros took the lead on a close play at the plate. Jason Castro led off with a double. After Carlos Pena was intentionally walked, Matt Dominguez came up with one out. A wild pitch moved Castro and Pena into scoring position and Dominguez’s ground ball to Neil Walker produced the RBI. Walker’s throw to the plate was late and Castro was able to slide past the tag of Russell Martin.
Clint Hurdle was ejected after arguing the call with home plate umpire C.B. Bucknor.
“I thought we had a play and I thought we were going to get an out and I went inside and saw it was the right call,” said Hurdle on the call that had him ejected for the second time this season.
Marwin Gonzalez followed up the hysteria with a ground ball to Gaby Sanchez. The first baseman threw home to gun down Pena at the plate, producing a “Bronx cheer” from the remaining spectators at PNC Park. J.D. Martinez singled up the middle to extend Houston’s lead to two before Gonzalez was hung up on the base paths for the third out.
Jose Veras came in to close out the bottom inning and preserve Houston’s 12th win of the season.
Photo courtesy of Yahoo! sports
