Astros 4 - 5 Pirates
Final
  for this game

Pirates wrap series with Astros

Sep 7, 2011 - 2:48 PM

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(Sports Network) - The Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates will close out their season series tonight in the finale of a three-game set at PNC Park.

The Astros evened this series with Tuesday's 4-1 win behind a strong pitching performance from Brett Myers. The right-hander was a career-worst 0-7 with a 5.01 earned run average in 13 games (12 starts) before holding the Pirates to one run and four hits in 7 2/3 innings.

"He threw the ball outstanding," Astros manager Brad Mills said of Myers, who recorded his first win since June 17 at Los Angeles.

Mark Melancon worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 17th save of the season.

Humberto Quintero finished 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI, while Jimmy Paredes added three hits and an RBI for the Astros, who snapped a four-game losing streak and will visit Washington for three games after this set.

Taking the mound for the 'Stros tonight will be J.A. Happ and the lefty ended a personal four-game losing streak in a 2-0 win over Pittsburgh on Aug. 31 with seven scoreless innings of three-hit ball. Happ is 5-15 with a 5.71 ERA in 24 starts this season and 3-2 in seven career starts against the Pirates.

The lefty is only 1-9 in 11 road assignments in 2011 and his only win as the guest came on May 3 at Cincinnati.

Pittsburgh had won three of four games before losing last night's middle test of this series by a 4-1 score.

Brad Lincoln pitched well in defeat and allowed two runs in six innings with six strikeouts and no walks.

"He pitched very, very well again tonight. He was very aggressive on both sides of the plate," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "Got in on some people and broke some bats. No walks and six punchouts, so he was very effective. Just a mix of pitches and the ball down in the zone. Another good outing."

Hurdle is still one win shy of 600 in his managerial career.

Ryan Doumit cracked a solo home run to account for the lone run and Garrett Jones chipped in with a double for Pittsburgh, which posted a 3-1 win in the series opener and will also host Florida and St. Louis on this homestand.

Brian Burres will try to pitch the Pirates to a series win when he toes the rubber tonight. Burres made his season debut in a 3-1 road victory over the Cubs on Friday and gave up the run in 5 1/3 innings with five K's and one walk. The lefty is 1-0 with a 6.14 ERA in two games (1 start) against the Astros, who are batting .323 against him through 7 1/3 innings of action.

The Pirates have won 10 of 17 meetings with the Astros in 2011, but Houston still owns a 6-3 mark in the past nine meetings between the two ballclubs.






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