Padres 2 - 1 Pirates
Final
  for this game

Padres slip past Pirates

Aug 10, 2014 - 5:01 AM Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Eric Stults pitched into the seventh inning and the San Diego Padres grabbed a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second of a three-game set.

Stults (5-13) won back-to-back starts for the first time this season as he gave up just one run on seven hits with six strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.

"It was a deserving win for Stults," said San Diego manager Bud Black. "He matched a guy that had us handcuffed after the first inning so I'm happy for him and the bullpen did a great job."

Jedd Gyorko and Yasmani Grandal each drove in a run for the Padres, who have won five of their last seven.

Russell Martin drove in the lone run of the game for the Pirates, who had a three-game winning streak stopped. Francisco Liriano (3-8) allowed two runs on three hits over seven innings to take the loss.

The Padres put their first three men on to start the game and got one run when Gyorko singled to center to plate Everth Cabrera. Chris Nelson then hit a grounder to third that saw a force out at home. Grandal followed with a sacrifice fly to center that plated Tommy Medica, put Chris Nelson was caught between first and second trying to tag up to end the inning.

Pittsburgh got one back in the home half as Josh Harrison led off with a single, stole second and came home on a single from Martin to make it a 2-1 game.

"I don't think I've ever been in a position where it was 2-1 after one inning one night, and it was 2-1 after one inning the next night and they both finished that way," said Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle. "We knew they could pitch coming in and we wind up in low scoring games both nights."

Neither team threatened again until the fourth when Starling Marte hit a two- out double, but Pittsburgh was unable to tie the game as Gregory Polanco grounded out to end the inning.

Liriano didn't allow another baserunner until walking Grandal with two outs in the seventh, and he got Jeff Francoeur to hit into a fielder's choice for the third out.

The Pirates got a leadoff single from Jayson Nix to start the seventh and he moved to second on a sac bunt from Michael Martinez.

San Diego then went to the bullpen as Alex Torres got Pedro Alvarez to fly out, then Nick Vincent forced a groundout from Harrison to preserve the lead.

San Diego left the bases loaded in the eighth inning, while Pittsburgh had runners at second and third with no outs in the eighth, but Kevin Quackenbush set down the next three batters to hold the advantage.

Joaquin Benoit pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth save of the season.

Game Notes

Tyson Ross pitches for San Diego in Sunday's finale, and Charlie Morton will toe the rubber for Pittsburgh ... The Pirates were just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight ... Pittsburgh had won three of four against San Diego coming into the game ... It was Stult's first road win in 10 decisions this season.






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