Pirates win on Walker’s single

Associated Press

PHOENIX

These one-run games are practically an everyday thing for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season. Winning them, however, hasn’t been as routine.

Which made Wednesday’s 2-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks a little more satisfying.

The Pirates won their fourth one-run game in eight tries this season. A bloop single from Neil Walker to right-center field with two outs in the eighth inning providing the go-ahead run.

Clint Barmes scored from second base on the third of three straight singles with two out, the last of those by Walker off reliever David Hernandez.

“As many games as we played last year, one-run, I know that there’s a different feel,” Walker said. “There was a little more anxiety than there is now. You can tell our nerves are way more calm than last year. One-run games in the big leagues? That’s big time.”

The Pirates ended a West Coast road trip with three wins in their final four games after an 0-5 start, and won a series in Arizona for the first time since 2005.

Walker admitted he broke his bat on the hit.

“That is kind of sweet retribution for all the balls you hit hard that have been caught,” he said.

Walker entered the game with a .243 batting average and hit into two double plays Wednesday. Teammate Pedro Alvarez was thrilled, if not relieved, to record his second hit of the season — and second home run — in 27 at-bats.

Alvarez homered in the seventh on a 2-0 pitch from Daniel Hudson (1-1) to tie it at 1.

“Just glad I was able to put a good piece on it. Good things happen when you make good contact,” Alvarez said. He raised his batting average 32 points.