Saturday, May 21, 2011
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH
Neil Walker homered and drove in a career-high five runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates past the Detroit Tigers 10-1 on Friday night.
Walker’s two-run double in the sixth off Detroit reliever Brayan Villarreal helped break open a tight game. Walker later added a three-run homer in the ninth as the Pirates won their third straight, matching their longest winning streak of the season.
Jeff Karstens (3-2) put together his best performance of the year. He retired the first 14 he faced and gave up just one run on three hits in six innings, striking out four without issuing a walk.
Brad Penny (5-5) took the loss after suffering a rare bout with wildness. He surrendered five runs in 52/3 innings, thanks in part to a season-high five walks, as the Tigers lost their fourth in a row.
Detroit manager Jim Leyland, who served as Pittsburgh’s manager from 1986-96, said before the game he’s impressed with the foundation the Pirates have put in place. Pittsburgh hasn’t had a winning season since Leyland guided them to the National League East title in 1992.
The Pirates lost 105 games a year ago but have remained competitive so far this spring behind the play of a surprisingly consistent pitching staff.
The group includes Karstens, who started the year coming out of the bullpen, but was thrust into a starting role when Ross Ohlendorf went down with right shoulder injury.
Though Karstens hasn’t been dominant, he has been effective. He stayed that way against the Tigers by following manager Clint Hurdle’s advice and changing speeds effectively.
It was enough to hold one of the American League’s most potent offenses in check.
Detroit didn’t get a baserunner until Brennan Boesch’s two-out flare to center with two outs in the fifth. Karstens’ only mistake of the night came on a fastball he left up in the zone to Ramon Santiago in the sixth. Santiago deposited the pitch into the right-field seats for his first homer of the season to tie it at 1.
Lyle Overbay led off the bottom of the inning with a drive over the center-field wall.