Pirates edge Phillies
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Paul Maholm tossed seven strong innings and Jeromy Burnitz hit a two-run homer to help the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 on Saturday night. Maholm (1-3) allowed one run and six hits with two walks in his longest outing of the season. The rookie lowered his ERA from 7.40 to 5.86.
Pittsburgh clinched its first series victory of the season. The Pirates entered the three-game set on a seven-game losing streak but beat the Phillies 3-1 Friday night.
The Phillies have lost three in a row.
Chris Duffy drove in Ronny Paulino with a two-out single in the third to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead but Pat Burrell had a two-out RBI single in the fourth to tie it.
Pittsburgh went in front for good in the fourth. Jason Bay doubled with one out and Burnitz hit his fifth homer to make it 3-1.
The Pirates and the Phillies entered Saturday’s game with the two worst ERAs in the National League but Cory Lidle (2-3) and Maholm pitched well. The teams have combined for only nine runs in the past two games.
Aaron Rowand hit a solo homer off Pirates reliever Salomon Torres to cut the lead to 3-2 in the eighth. The Phillies loaded the bases with one out in the ninth but Roberto Hernandez got pinch-hitter Alex Gonzalez to ground into a double play for his second save.
Lidle retired the Pirates in order in four of his six innings and permitted only four baserunners – but was charged with three runs and four hits.
Notes: The Phillies collected their first triple of the season when Lidle hit a shot into left-center field with two outs in the third. It was the longest the club had gone without a triple since 1953, when it took 28 games. … The Pirates need two homers on Sunday to tie the club record for most homers in April. The team hit 33 in 1996.