Buchholz blanks Pirates, 3-0

Rookie Taylor fashioned a two-hitter for the Astros.
HOUSTON (AP) -- Taylor Buchholz threw an eye-opening gem for his first major league win, coming within one out of a one-hit shutout in the Houston Astros' 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.
The 26-year-old rookie allowed only singles by Jeromy Burnitz in the fifth inning and Jack Wilson in the ninth. He struck out five and walked none in his second career start and fourth appearance.
Craig Biggio hit a solo homer off lefty John Grabow in the seventh inning and scored all three runs.
Buchholz (1-1) retired his first nine batters before hitting Chris Duffy on the foot with a pitch in the fourth. But Wilson grounded into a double play, and the right-hander kept cruising along.
Lifted after 104 pitches
Duffy reached on an error by second baseman Eric Bruntlett with two outs in the ninth and Wilson followed with a single. Buchholz then was lifted for All-Star closer Brad Lidge after 104 pitches.
With Buchholz bouncing in the dugout as he watched, Lidge struck out Jason Bay on a 3-2 pitch for his seventh save in seven tries.
Morgan Ensberg had an RBI single in the first and Lance Berkman added a sacrifice fly in the fifth after Biggio hit his 611th career double. Biggio went 3-for-5, his fourth three-hit performance in the last five games.
Ensberg's franchise-record streak of six straight games with a home run ended as he went 1-for-2 with two walks.
Pirates starter Ian Snell (0-2) allowed six hits and two runs with four strikeouts in six innings, a much better outing than his last game, when he gave up six runs and six hits in five innings of a 7-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Astros left fielder Preston Wilson remained in a batting slump, going 0-for-4. But he made a diving catch on Craig Wilson's line drive in the eighth inning.
Notes
The win puts the Astros over .500 with an all-time record of 3,509-3,508. ... Snell's only major league win came last season when he allowed three hits in eight innings of a 7-0 win over Roger Clemens and the Astros. ... Snell does not have a major league hit. He went 0-for-2, which puts his career numbers at 0-for-14 with three sacrifice bunts.
PITTSBURGHHOUSTON
abrhbiabrhbi
Duffy cf3000Biggio 2b5331
JWilsn ss4010Brntlett 2b0000
Bay lf4000Tveras cf4030
Burnitz rf3010Brkmn 1b3021
CWilsn 1b3000Ensbrg 3b2011
Randa 3b3000PrWlsn lf4000
Castillo 2b3000Lane rf2000
Palino c2000Asmus c3000
Snchez ph1000AEvrtt ss4000
Snell p2000Bchholz p4000
Grabow p0000Lidge p0000
STorres p0000
Vglsng p0000
McLth ph1000
Totals29020Totals31393
Pittsburgh000000000--0
Houston10001010x--3
E--Castillo (1), Bruntlett (1). DP--Pittsburgh 2, Houston 1. LOB--Pittsburgh 3, Houston 10. 2B--Biggio (7). HR--Biggio (2). SF--Berkman.
IPHRERBBSO
Pittsburgh
Snell L,0-2662224
Grabow1-331100
STorres2-300010
Vogelsong100010
Houston
Buchholz W,1-18 2-320005
Lidge S,71-300001
HBP--by Vogelsong (Ausmus), by Buchholz (Duffy). Umpires--Home, Tim Tschida; First, Ted Barrett; Second, Laz Diaz; Third, Rick Reed. T--2:31. A--38,575.\