Recap: Pittsburgh vs. Houston
Sports Network | September 20, 2008
Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Ryan Doumit went 3-for-4, drove in three runs and scored once as the Pittsburgh Pirates held on for a 6-4 victory over the Houston Astros in the middle installment of a three-game set.
Brandon Moss had an RBI triple for the Pirates, who have two wins in the last six games. Andy LaRoche and Nate McLouth both drove in a run in the win.
Jimmy Barthmaier, making his second major league start, lasted three innings and was touched for two runs on five hits in the no-decision. Jason Davis (2-4) took the win with two innings of scoreless relief. Matt Capps earned his 20th save with a scoreless ninth.
Mark Loretta had a pinch-hit RBI single for the Astros, who have won just one of their past seven games. Ty Wigginton and Miguel Tejada both drove in a run in defeat.
Brian Moehler (11-8) took the loss after lasting just an inning and giving up five runs on five hits.
The Astros are just about out of playoff contention, as they're five games behind the New York Mets for the lead in the wild card race. Houston has just eight games remaining.
Tyler Yates came in to pitch the eighth for Pittsburgh and issued a two-out walk to Geoff Blum. Hunter Pence followed with a single and Wigginton stroked an RBI base hit before pinch-hitter Loretta made it 6-4 with an RBI single.
Capps started the ninth for Pittsburgh and yielded a leadoff single to Kazuo Matsui. Michael Bourn and Tejada were retired, but a Lance Berkman single put runners on the corners. Blum, though, flied out to end the game.
The Pirates got on the board in the first inning. Consecutive singles from Nyger Morgan, Freddy Sanchez and McLouth plated a run before a Doumit double scored two more. Adam LaRoche then popped out, but Moss offered an RBI triple to right and Andy LaRoche slapped a sacrifice fly to right to make it a 5-0 game.
Morgan doubled off Dave Borkowski in the second inning and came around three batters later as Doumit doubled to left, making it 6-0.
Matsui, Bourn and Tejada all clubbed singles to lead off the top of the third, with Tejada's scoring a run, before Berkman grounded into a run-scoring double play to make it 6-2.
Houston stranded 10 runners; Pittsburgh left six on base...The Pirates were outhit 11-8...Both teams committed an error...Time of game was 2:49...Attendance was 36,621.
