Atl 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Pit 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 X 4
Date of game: 4/21/2013

Recap: Pittsburgh vs. Atlanta

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Clint Barmes had a pair of RBI singles, and the Pittsburgh Pirates notched their third straight win with a 4-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves in the finale of a four-game set at PNC Park.

Russell Martin went 2-for-4 with an RBI double, Travis Snider added two hits and scored an insurance run for Pittsburgh, which has gone 9-3 since a four- game losing streak in the first week of the season.

"We settled into our rhythm, our pitchers pitched better than their pitchers and our hitters actually outperformed," said Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle. "It's good to beat good teams."

Justin Wilson (1-0) picked up the win with 1 1/3 scoreless frames. Pirates starter Jonathan Sanchez was removed after throwing 74 pitches in three innings of work. He allowed two runs on four hits with three walks.

The Braves have dropped four of their last five since winning 10 in a row. Gerald Laird and Andrelton Simmons each had two hits and an RBI.

Atlanta starter Kris Medlen (1-2) struck out six over six innings of work and was charged for three runs on seven hits and a walk in defeat.

The Braves jumped on Sanchez in the second with four straight singles off the lefty, including RBI base hits from Laird and Simmons, but managed just four more hits over the last seven innings and were just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position for the game.

"The story is we didn't swing the bats," said Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez. "We had some opportunities."

Martin and Barmes brought the Pirates even in the bottom half of the second. After leading the inning off with a single, Pedro Alvarez scored on Martin's double into center. Barmes then plated Martin with his 800th career hit, a line-drive single through the right side.

In the sixth, Atlanta's left fielder Justin Upton made a great leaping catch, but Pittsburgh wound up grabbing the lead later in the frame.

Neil Walker, who led the inning off with a single, tagged on Alvarez's deep fly ball into left and then moved to third on Martin's groundout. Barmes hit a slow roller up the middle and beat Simmons' throw at first base to score Walker and put the Pirates on top, 3-2.

Pittsburgh nearly botched an opportunity to score in the seventh when Sterling Marte got caught in a run down between third and home, but were able to load the bases later in the frame and pushed a run across on Atlanta reliever Luis Avilan's wild pitch, bringing Snider home from third.

Tony Watson pitched a perfect eighth for Pittsburgh, and after walking the leadoff man in the ninth, Jason Grilli notched his seventh save by setting down B.J. Upton, Ramiro Pena and Justin Upton in order.

Game Notes

The Braves lost their first series of the season ... Atlanta relievers had a 13-innings scoreless streak snapped ... The Pirates improved to 9-0 when leading after seven innings ... Atlanta's Chris Johnson went 1-for-4, snapping a seven-game multi-hit streak.

Dorm Report: The coaching carousel goes round and round

Every offseason there is a slew of fresh faces roaming the sidelines of major universities across America, but the head coaching turnover in the Football Bowl Subdivision has been especially busy heading into the 2013 campaign.

NASCAR News
Jarrett, Petty among new inductees into the NASCAR HOF

Former Sprint Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett and legendary engine builder Maurice Petty were among those selected in the 2014 class of inductees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Steelers sign third-round pick Wheaton

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed third- round pick, wide receiver Markus Wheaton to a four-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.

A's activate Nakajima, option him to Triple-A

The Oakland Athletics activated shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima from the 15-day disabled list Thursday and optioned him to Triple-A Sacramento.

Latest Sports Photos
Latest Sports Photos
0 Votes
SEC Champions Alabama created by artist Ben Teeter S/N C.O.A. available for the dedicated Alabama fan!

1 Vote
first catch of the season looks like a good year

0 Votes
Gina McLeroy Spring City, TN

0 Votes
Our Son Brandon McLeroy MTSU Football 2011 Gina McLeroy Spring City TN

1 Vote
this is James Howard telling Gracie what to do.

0 Votes
Riverbend fun!

0 Votes
I nees a four letter word for the outside layer of a tree.

0 Votes
Cameron is a rising athlete. He has a God given talent for the game of football. This picture is of him stopping the ball carrier in our game in the ...

1 Vote
Our Lookout Valley 9/10 year old team went to a tournament in Knoxville called The Battle of the Rocky Top. They went throught the tournament undefeated and won the championship ...

1 Vote
The Lookout Valley 9-10 year old team traveled to Knoxville, playing in a national youth football tournament. They defeated a team from Chicago to win the championship. These young men ...
LOCAL Deals
www.mortgage-south.com
Click here to learn more about the worry-free mortgage!
www.firstvolunteer.com
Meet the bank with personality to help with your home, car or business dreams today!
Stay Connected with WDEF News 12
 
Inergize Digital This site is hosted and managed by Inergize Digital.