SB Nation Houston - Norris, Astros Fall, 6-4, To Pirates
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2010-09-26T09:01:34-05:00
http://houston.sbnation.com/rss/stream/1475499
2010-09-26T09:01:34-05:00
2010-09-26T09:01:34-05:00
Pirates Take Game Two, 6-4
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/31pUoLi4JWTyFcdN7Qz5cKCdRMg=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828119/large_houston.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
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<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - <span>Pedro Alvarez</span> clubbed a three-run home run and <span>Zach Duke</span> was solid on the mound in Pittsburgh's 6-4 win over Houston in the middle test of a three-game set.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Jose Tabata</span> and <span>Ryan Doumit</span> delivered run-scoring singles and <span>Andrew McCutchen</span> had two hits and scored twice for the <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pirates</a>, who defeated Houston for just a third time in 14 meetings this season.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Duke (8-14) allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out three over six-plus innings to win for the 31st time at PNC Park, the most of any pitcher in the 10-year history of the stadium.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">"I feel like I'm back to where I want to be...Hopefully I can go into my last start and give us another chance to win," Duke said.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Bud Norris</span> (9-9) took the loss after yielding five runs on seven hits and three walks while fanning six over 4 2/3 innings for the <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Astros</a>, who have lost four of their last five games.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Joel Hanrahan</span> assumed the hill in the ninth with a three-run cushion. Pinch- hitter <span>Anderson Hernandez</span>worked a one-out walk and scored on a two-out double by pinch-hitter <span>Brian Bogusevic</span> that made it a two-run game.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Geoff Blum</span> then hit a bouncing ball past first baseman <span>Garrett Jones</span> that was fielded by the second baseman<span>Neil Walker</span>, who threw to Hanrahan covering for the final out as the right-hander nailed down his sixth save.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Chris Johnson</span> singled home <span>Jason Michaels</span> in the second inning to get the scoring started.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Alvarez belted his three-run home run in the third to give the hosts their first lead before the Astros answered with Humberto Quintero's two-run double in the fourth to tie the game.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The Pirates reclaimed the lead for good in the fifth on run-scoring singles by Tabata and Doumit that knocked Norris out of the game.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Duke was removed after Quintero's leadoff single in the seventh and replaced by <span>Sean Gallagher</span>.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The right-hander got pinch-hitter <span>Matt Downs</span> to fly out and <span>Jason Bourgeois</span> to ground into an inning-ending double play and <span>Evan Meek</span> followed with a scoreless eighth inning.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Alvarez singled to start the home eighth and moved to third on a one-out double by <span>Alex Presley</span> that chased<span>Wesley Wright</span> from the mound.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Matt Lindstrom</span> took over and uncorked a wild pitch that plated Alvarez to make it 6-3 and pushed Presley to third. The right-hander avoided any further damage by getting <span>Ronny Cedeno</span> and pinch-hitter <span>Delwyn Young</span> to ground out.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">"We've talked about being able to close out innings, and tonight they hurt us with two-out hits," said Astros manager <span>Brad Mills</span>, who had his contract extended through the 2011 season on Saturday.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Duke is 31-31 in 81 career starts at home...He is 3-5 in 12 games, 11 starts, against Houston...McCutchen has reached base in 20 straight games...The Pirates have won eight of their last 11 home games...Pittsburgh has an extra-base hit in 37 straight games...Houston had won 10 of Norris's last 11 starts before Saturday...He is 2-2 in his career against the Buccos...The Astros are 21-8 against the Pirates since the start of last season.</p>
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https://houston.sbnation.com/2010/9/26/1712710/pirates-take-game-two-6-4
Luke Zimmermann
2010-09-25T12:39:12-05:00
2010-09-25T12:39:12-05:00
'Stros Seek Second In A Row Over Buccos
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<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span></p>
<div style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; display: block; float: left; width: 672px; position: relative; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" class="grid_8 col-content clearfix" id="col-content">
<div style="padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 10px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" class="entry">
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">(Sports Network) - Streaking 25-year-old righty <span>Bud Norris</span> goes for double- digit wins for the first time in his career tonight, when the <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Houston Astros</a> visit PNC Park in the middle test of a three-game series with the host<a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pittsburgh Pirates</a>.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">A sixth-round pick of the Astros in 2006, Norris was 2-7 on the season after a 12-6 loss at Pittsburgh on July 17 in which he allowed nine hits and seven runs in 4 2/3 innings. He's won six of seven decisions since then, including three in a row against the <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Dodgers</a>, Milwaukee and Washington between Sept. 9-20.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">In those three starts, Norris allowed just 12 hits and five runs in 20 full innings of work.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Norris debuted in the big leagues last season and made 11 appearances (10 starts) while going 6-3 with a 4.53 earned run average in 55 2/3 innings. He's tossed 143 innings so far in 2010 and registered a 4.85 ERA.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">For the Pirates, Texas-born lefty <span>Zach Duke</span> tries to end a three-start skid since his last victory.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The 27-year-old defeated Washington with five innings of four-run ball on Sept. 3 in Pittsburgh, but has been ripped for 21 hits and 15 runs in 11 2/3 innings in losses to Atlanta, the <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Mets</a> and Arizona.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Duke dropped a 5-2 decision to the Astros in his last meeting with them, which took place on July 16, after giving up five hits and two runs in five innings. Lifetime against Houston, he's 2-5 in 11 outings (10 starts) with a 3.27 ERA in 66 innings.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Duke is 4-7 in 16 home starts in 2010.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">In Friday's opener of this series, <span>Hunter Pence</span> drove in three runs as the Astros handed the Pirates their 100th loss of the season with a 10-7 decision.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Pence went 3-for-5 with two runs scored while <span>Angel Sanchez</span> had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored for the Astros, who had dropped their previous three games.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Houston's Brett Myers (14-7) extended his club record by going at least six innings for a 32nd straight start, which encompasses all of his appearances this season. He went six innings on Friday, but it was a shaky outing, as he gave up six runs -- five earned -- on six hits with four walks. It was enough to earn him his sixth straight winning decision, though.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Garrett Jones</span> drove in four runs while <span>Pedro Alvarez</span> had two RBI for the Pirates, who reached the 100-loss plateau for the first time since 2001. Starter James McDoanld went four innings and was charged with three runs on five hits.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Bucs reliever <span>Chris Leroux</span> (0-1) suffered the first loss of his career after he gave up three runs on three hits while recording just one out in the sixth.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The Astros have won four straight in this series and 11 of 13 versus the Pirates this year. They are 21-7 against Pittsburgh since the start of 2009.</p>
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https://houston.sbnation.com/2010/9/25/2321576/stros-seek-second-in-a-row-over-buccos
Luke Zimmermann