Braves’ Lowe continues hold over the Pirates

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Derek Lowe was eager to deflect the credit for his latest win over Pittsburgh.

Lowe remains unbeaten against the Pirates, and Melky Cabrera hit his first home run for Atlanta to help the Braves extend their season-best winning streak to five games with a 4-2 victory Saturday night.

After the start was delayed 92 minutes by rain, Lowe (6-4) needed 99 pitches to get through five innings but improved to 8-0 with a 2.96 ERA in eight starts against the Pirates. Four relievers combined to shut out Pittsburgh over the final four innings.

“This is a bullpen win,” Lowe said. “I know my name will be attached to it but it was really the bullpen that made the difference. Those guys pitched great and bailed me out.”

Lowe allowed two runs and five hits while walking four and striking out five. Home runs by Cabrera and Eric Hinske off major league loss leader Charlie Morton (1-8) staked Lowe to a 3-0 lead.

Cabrera led off the second with a line drive into the right-field stands and Chipper Jones drove home a second run in the inning with a groundout.

Cabrera, acquired from the New York Yankees in an offseason trade for Javier Vazquez, raised his batting average to .210 by going 2 for 4.

“He’s swinging the bat a lot better,” Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said.

Hinske made it 3-0 when he homered to right-center leading off the third.

Pittsburgh, which lost its third straight game, scored both its runs off Lowe in the fifth. Ryan Church doubled and scored on Lastings Milledge’s triple to center. Ronny Cedeno drove in Milledge with a squeeze bunt.

The Pirates stranded 14 as they went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position.

“It was a frustrating night,” said Garrett Jones, who lined into an unassisted double play by Hinske, his first base counterpart, to thwart a rally in the fifth.