PITTSBURGH Pineiro powers past Pirates, 5-1
The Bucs have lost 11 of their last 13 games.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Joel Pineiro limited Pittsburgh to one run over eight innings in his second straight strong start, and Rich Aurilia drove in three runs to lead the Seattle Mariners past the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1 Saturday night.
Pineiro (3-8) looked a lot more like the pitcher who won 16 games last season than the one who recently ended a seven-game losing streak. He allowed only two harmless singles through seven innings until Bobby Hill homered leading off eighth.
The right-hander followed up what was his best start of the season, an 8-1 victory Sunday over Montreal that was his first victory since April 18, with an even better one. He didn't allow a runner past first base until the eighth in his first road victory this season following four straight losses. He gave up four hits, struck out three and walked one.
Pineiro didn't win in a span of nine starts from April 23-June 8, but has since given up two runs in 16 innings in consecutive wins over NL teams.
Eddie Guardado pitched a perfect ninth to finish it.
Aurilia, back in the lineup after not starting consecutive games, had a run-scoring single in the fifth and a two-run single in the sixth to give Seattle all the offense it needed in its third consecutive victory.
Different directions
The Mariners have won nine of 13, while the Pirates have dropped 11 of 13. Pittsburgh is 3-16 since moving a game over .500 on May 29.
With right-hander Kip Wells out for at least one start with an inflamed finger, the Pirates called up left-hander Sean Burnett from Triple-A Nashville to make his second career start. He retired his first 12 batters, only to get into trouble by walking Scott Spiezio leading off the fifth and throwing a wild pitch.
Aurilia, batting only .227 at the time, singled to left field to score Spiezio and moved to second on the throw to the plate. Hiram Bocachica followed with an RBI single under shortstop Jack Wilson's glove.
Burnett (0-1) left in the sixth after Ichiro Suzuki's line drive hit him in his upper left arm, resulting in a large bruise but no other damage. Brian Meadows replaced Burnett with runners on first and third -- Randy Winn singled to start the inning -- and gave up Aurilia's two-run, two-out single.
Seattle added a run in the ninth on Edgar Martinez's pinch-hit RBI double.
SEATTLEPITTSBURGH
abrhbiabrhbi
Winn lf5110Kendall c4000
JoCbra 2b4000JWilsn ss4000
ISuzuki rf4120Ward 1b4010
Spiezio 3b3100CWilsn rf3000
Olerud 1b3000Grabow p0000
Aurilia ss4123Stynes ph1000
Bcchca cf4021Mckwk 3b3000
Brders c4100Bay lf3121
Pineiro p3000Hill 2b2000
EMrtnz ph1011TRdmn cf3000
Blmqist pr0000SBrnett p1000
Grdado p0000Mdows p0000
ANunez ph1000
STorres p0000
RMateo rf1010
Totals35585Totals30141
Seattle000022001--5
Pittsburgh000000010--1
E--Mackowiak (7). DP--Seattle 1. LOB--Seattle 5, Pittsburgh 3. 2B--Bocachica (3), EMartinez (16). HR--Bay (6). SB--ISuzuki (18), Bocachica (3). CS--Bocachica (2).
IPHRERBBSO
Seattle
Pineiro W,3-8841113
Guardado100001
Pittsburgh
SBurnett L,0-15 1-344413
Meadows2-310011
STorres100001
Grabow231001
WP--SBurnett. Umpires--Home, Paul Emmel; First, Terry Craft; Second, Mike DiMuro; Third, Joe West. T--2:18. A--24,341.