Pirates open Houston series with big loss

Associated Press

HOUSTON

Jed Lowrie hit a three-run homer and Justin Maxwell and Brett Wallace added solo shots to help the Houston Astros coast to a 7-1 win over Pittsburgh on Friday night, further dampening the Pirates already dim postseason hopes.

The Pirates couldn’t find much offense as they lost their fourth straight game to fall to six games back for the second NL wild card spot. They’ve lost 16 of their last 20 games in this late-season swoon to fall to 74-76.

Houston starter Edgar Gonzalez lasted just 1 2-3 innings before leaving with a strained right hamstring. That forced the Astros to use six different relievers to cobble together the rest of the game. The bullpen combined to fan 11 and allow six hits. Fernando Rodriguez (2-10) struck out four in 31/3 innings for the win.

Pittsburgh starter Jeff Locke (0-2) yielded three hits and three runs with a career-high eight strikeouts in five innings. He is 0-5 in eight career major league starts.

Garrett Jones allowed the Pirates to avoid a shutout with his solo homer off Rhiner Cruz in the eighth inning.

Brandon Barnes singled to right field before Maxwell drew a two-out walk in the first inning. Lowrie followed with his 15th homer and first since June 26, a shot to the Crawford Boxes in left field. He was on the disabled list from July 15 to Sept. 12 with an injured nerve in his right leg.

Locke was lifted to start the sixth for James McDonald, who was moved out of the rotation on Sunday after a second half filled with struggles.

McDonald was 9-3 with a 2.37 ERA before the break, but entered the game 3-5 with a 7.08 ERA since then.

A change of pace didn’t yield different results for McDonald in his first relief appearance since 2010.

Pittsburgh 2B Neil Walker was out of the lineup again with a sore back. He played on Thursday after missing two of the previous three games with the issue.