Pirates’ win streak to 3 as Bucs sweep Cubs

Associated Press

Pittsburgh

For the Pittsburgh Pirates, a 10-run margin isn’t all that unusual this season. Only there was a big difference: This time, they won.

Lastings Milledge drove in four runs, Garrett Jones added three RBIs and the Pirates finally won a one-sided game, beating the Cubs 11-1 Thursday night for their first sweep of their NL Central rival in nearly four years.

Brian Burres (2-1), roughed up in three consecutive appearances before pitching 51/3 scoreless innings in a spot start April 29 against Los Angeles, allowed three hits over seven shutout innings to win his second in a row. Before that, he hadn’t won in nearly two seasons.

The Pirates are winning nearly every close game but losing lots of blowouts; they’ve lost 11 times by six runs or more. And their minus-86 run differential through 27 games was easily the worst in either the NL or AL.

For a change, they put this one away early — and easily — following a two-hour pregame meeting with a communications coach designed to build their social skills and boost their image. A five-run first inning against Cubs starter Randy Wells (3-1) no doubt accomplished that.

“We’ve been on the other side of that a few times,” Pirates manager John Russell said.

The Pirates hadn’t won by more than four runs since beating the Dodgers 11-5 on opening day.

Wells (3-1) didn’t walk any in his previous two starts, only to walk Akinori Iwamura and Andy LaRoche in succession in the first. Andrew McCutchen and Jones followed with RBI singles and Ryan Doumit doubled in a run. Milledge, who came in with six RBIs in 93 at-bats, finished it off with a two-run double.