Padres’ Marquis fires two-hitter against Pirates

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Jason Marquis took a no-hitter into the seventh inning Saturday night before settling for a two-hitter as the San Diego Padres beat the Pirates 5-0 for their 11th straight win in Pittsburgh.

Travis Snider broke up the bid with an infield single off the pitcher’s mound leading off the seventh inning. Second baseman Alexi Amarista dived to his right but the ball glanced off his glove.

Released earlier this season by Minnesota, Marquis struck out four and walked one in his first shutout since April 29, 2011, for Washington against San Francisco, and fifth of his career. Pedro Alvarez was the only other Pittsburgh player to reach base. He walked in the second and singled in the eighth.

The Padres, who joined the National League in 1969 as an expansion team, are the only major league franchise without a no-hitter. Johan Santana threw the first one in New York Mets’ history on June 1 against St. Louis.

Marquis (6-6), who threw his eighth career complete game, was released by the Twins after going 2-4 with an 8.47 ERA in seven starts. San Diego signed the 13-year veteran as a free agent on May 29.

San Diego won its sixth straight game and sent Pittsburgh to its third consecutive loss. The Padres’ winning streak in Pittsburgh began in 2009.

Chase Headley hit his third home run in the two games for the Padres and Max Venable also went deep. Venable and Marquis each had two of San Diego’s 10 hits.

A.J. Burnett (14-4) failed in his bid to become the first Pirates pitcher to win 15 games since Todd Ritchie in 1999 and also had his four-game winning streak stopped.

Burnett allowed five runs — four earned — and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings with 10 strikeouts and two walks. It was Burnett’s first loss in eight home decisions and the Pirates had been 10-0 in his starts at PNC Park.

The crowd of 39,485 was the third-largest in PNC Park’s 12-season history with part of the lure being a postgame fireworks extravaganza and concert by Styx.