NATIONAL LEAGUE

Burnett keeps strikeouts coming in Pirates’ victory

PITTSBURGH - A.J. Burnett doesn’t lead the major leagues in strikeouts. He just wants to and is awful close.

“I’m trying to keep up with Yu Darvish, but he’s pretty filthy,” the Pittsburgh Pirates’ ace said of the Texas Rangers’ right-hander.

Burnett (Central Arkansas Christian) allowed 1 run and struck out 9 in 7 shutout innings, and call-up Jordy Mercer hit a tie breaking home run to lead the Pirates to a 3-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on Friday night.

Burnett (3-2) gave up five hits and one walk in winning his third consecutive game after going 0-2 in his first three starts. He also raised his National League-leading strikeout total to 57.

Darvish tops the majors with 58.

“Strikeouts are always good to have, and I like to put people away,” Burnett said. “There will be some nights where I won’t have many strikeouts, so you take them when you can get them.”

Burnett has allowed just five earned runs in 25 innings in his past four starts for an ERA of 1.80.

Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle believes Burnett is pitching as well as at any time during his two seasons in Pittsburgh. Burnett won 16 games last year.

“He’s approaching every single pitch he makes with total conviction,” Hurdle said.

Mercer’s two-run home run off Ross Detwiler (1-3) in the fifth inning put the Pirates ahead 3-1. Mercer was recalled from Class AAA Indianapolis before the game when second baseman Neil Walker was placed on the disabled list with a right hand injury.

The Pirates won for the fourth time in six games, and the Nationals lost for the fourth time in six games.

PHILLIES 4, MARLINS 1 Jonathan Pettibone (2-0) pitched neatly into the seventh, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Domonic Brown hit home runs and host Philadelphia beat Miami.

REDS 6, CUBS 5 Jay Bruce had two RBI and scored and Shin-Soo Choo drove in a run and scored twice to help Cincinnati hold off host Chicago. The Cubs scored three runs in the ninth against Reds closer Aroldis Chapman before reliever J.J. Hoover came on and struck out Darwin Barney with the bases loaded to pick up his first save.

CARDINALS 6, BREWERS 1 Matt Holliday and Carlos Beltran homered and Shelby Miller (4-2) pitched six strong innings to help St. Louis beat host Milwaukee.

METS 7, BRAVES 5 David Wright hit the tying home run in the ninth inning off closer Craig Kimbrel and New York scored twice in the 10th to rally for a victory over host Atlanta.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

MARINERS 4, BLUE JAYS 0 Felix Hernandez (4-2) pitched eight shutout innings to win his third consecutive start, Kyle Seager and Jason Bay homered and Seattle shut out host Toronto.

INDIANS 7, TWINS 6 Drew Stubbs’ RBI double with one out in the 10th inning lifted host Cleveland to its fifth consecutive victory.

ATHLETICS 2, YANKEES 0 A.J. Griffin pitched six-hit ball into the eighth inning, Adam Rosales homered on CC Sabathia’s first pitch, and Oakland opened its 10-game road trip with its fourth victory in five games, beating host New York.

RANGERS 7, RED SOX 0 Host Texas collected 13 hits in 3 2/3 innings against Felix Doubront, including five with runners in scoring position, and Derek Holland tossed eight scoreless innings en route to a rout of Boston.

TIGERS 4, ASTROS 3 Alex Avila hit a two run home run in the ninth inning, lifting Detroit to a victory over host Houston.

INTERLEAGUE

RAYS 7, ROCKIES 4 Evan Longoria hit a tie breaking single in the 10th inning and Kelly Johnson later added a two-run home run, helping Tampa Bay beat host Colorado.

Friday’s games

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Cincinnati 6, Chicago Cubs 5 Philadelphia 4, Miami 1 Pittsburgh 3, Washington 1 NY Mets 7, Atlanta 5 (10) St. Louis 6, Milwaukee 1 Arizona at San Diego, (n) LA Dodgers at San Francisco, (n)

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Cleveland 7, Minnesota 6 (10) Oakland 2, NY Yankees 0 Seattle 4, Toronto 0 Texas 7, Boston 0 Detroit 4, Houston 3 Chicago White Sox at Kansas City, ppd., rain LA Angels 4, Baltimore 0

INTERLEAGUE

Tampa Bay 7, Colorado 4 (10)

Sports, Pages 22 on 05/04/2013

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