Wild Willis walks 8; Pirates win 6-3

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Walk after walk after walk. Each Dontrelle Willis start is becoming the same, and the walk he dreads most is the one being made early in each game by Detroit manager Jim Leyland to take him out.

Willis fought with his control for the third consecutive start by walking eight in 32‚Ñ3 innings, leading to all of Pittsburgh’s scoring, and Robinzon Diaz drove in three runs to help the Pirates beat the Tigers 6-3 on Sunday.

Ross Ohlendorf (6-5) limited Detroit to one run and two hits over six innings for his first victory since May 18, leaving after throwing 91 pitches.

The Tigers got to within 6-3 on Don Kelly’s two-run single in the seventh off Steven Jackson, but lost for the second time in the three-game interleague series during a bad weekend for Detroit teams against Pittsburgh’s.

Willis’ eight walks — he has walked 18 in 11 innings — directly produced five runs.

Craig Monroe and Eric Hinske walked with the bases loaded during a three-run first and three batters who walked eventually scored.

“You can’t defend a walk,” Willis said.

Since beating Texas 4-0 on May 19 by permitting only one hit over 61‚Ñ3 innings, Willis (1-4) has fought with the control problems that led the former 20-game winner with Florida to make repeated trips to the minors. He has walked 24 in 222‚Ñ3 innings, helping elevate his ERA to 7.49.

“I’ve got to find a way to get the ball in play or Skip [Leyland] is going to have to find somebody to do it. I’m going to have to kick it in gear, get it done,” Willis said. “I go one step forward and two steps back and it’s unacceptable the way I played.”

The first inning was representative of Willis’ recent struggles. Andrew McCutchen and Monroe walked around singles by Andy LaRoche and Freddy Sanchez. Hinske drew the first of his four walks to drive in another run, and Diaz followed with a sacrifice fly.

“It’s amazing, one hitter he’s right there and two hitters he’s not close,” Leyland said. “It’s hard to figure out, to be honest.”

Sanchez had an RBI single and Diaz had a two-run single during another three-run inning, the fourth.

Willis left after throwing only 43 of 88 pitches for strikes, giving up six hits and six runs and striking out one.

The Pirates’ three-run first inning drew almost as many cheers as the pregame ceremony — captain Sidney Crosby, coach Dan Bylsma and 14 other Penguins players showing off the Stanley Cup they won by beating Detroit 2-1 in Game 7 on Friday night.

Bill Guerin, the 38-year-old forward who won his first Cup in 14 years, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.