Nothing to shout about Saturday night as the Pirates got dominated by Jason Marquis in front of the third largest crowd in PNC Park history. The Padres won their sixth in a row and their eleventh straight game in Pittsburgh.
Marquis, released by the Minnesota Twins earlier in the season, took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and gave up only two hits on the night, one a leadoff single to Travis Snider to start the seventh (Snider later left the game with hamstring tightness), the other a single by Pedro Alvarez leading off the eighth. Marquis tossed his eighth career complete game and fifth shutout throwing 106 pitches, walking one and striking out four.
Pirates starter A.J. Burnett had a rough outing even though he struck out ten in 5.2 innings. It was Burnett's first loss at home and the first time the Pirates have lost when he has taken the mound at PNC. They were 10-0 coming in.
Chase Headley, who hit two homers Friday night and admitted that PNC was his favorite road ballpark, got the Padres on the board in the first with his 18th home run and the Padres added single runs in the third and the fourth before chasing Burnett with two in the sixth.
On a positive note Jared Hughes pitched 2.1 scoreless innings and Jason Grilli had a 1-2-3 ninth. Both relievers have been touched up a bit recently.
Clint Barmes, who didn't start Wednesday or Thursday, but collected two hits Friday night was not in the lineup again Saturday as Josh Harrison, he of the .282 OBP (Barmes' is .242 for the record), got the nod at short. Clearly Barmes' glove is not making up for his lack of offensive production, but it is interesting that Clint Hurdle is just now reducing his playing time. Barmes' line since the break is .250/.289/.319 and it's .318/.348/.409 in August, by far his most productive stretch with the Bucs.
The Reds, Cards, Braves and Giants all won, while the Dodgers lost.
Erik Bedard tries to get the North Siders back on track against Ex-Pirate Ross Ohlendorf on Sunday. With the Dodgers coming to town for four and the Pirates then headed to St. Louis, the next week of games could be pivotal.