Burnett, Pittsburgh Pirates outduel Harvey, New York Mets, win 8-2

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2. 3. 8. 4. Final

A.J. Burnett out-dueled Matt Harvey as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the New York Mets 8-2 on Saturday afternoon. While Harvey had the shortest start (four innings) of his career and gave up the most runs (seven) in a start in his career, Burnett continued pitching like arguably the best pitcher in the National League. He made his ninth straight start to begin the season not allowing more than two runs. He struck out a season-high ten batters and didn’t walk one while only giving up one run on five hits. He lasted seven innings and probably could have gone longer.

Harvey, on the other hand, had a forgettable start. He gave up runs in the first, second, and fourth inning and was eventually pulled after the fourth. He allowed two home runs and walked two on a day when he gave up seven earned runs in total. Four Mets’ relievers combined to pitch four innings and only allow one run the rest of the way.

Andrew McCutchen began the scoring in the first inning with a two-run home run into the bullpen. The 426-foot shot was the longest home run Harvey’s given up all season. Pedro Alvarez followed suit in the second with 422-foot mammoth home run to right field. The Pirates tacked on four more in the fourth to make the score 7-1 to chase Harvey. The only run Burnett would allow came in the fourth when Daniel Murphy hit into a fielder’s choice, scoring Juan Lagares. Antonio Bastardo and Radhames Liz would each pitch an inning to seal the 8-2 Pirate victory.

What Stood Out

Burnett was dominant and followed Gerrit Cole‘s Friday night start admirably. His 1.37 ERA now leads all of baseball and his 2.6 WAR leads the National League and is second in all of baseball behind Dallas Keuchel of the Houston Astros.

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On the other side of the mound, the usual suspects were at it again for the Pirates. Josh Harrison continued his torrid hitting, going 2-4 on the day with two RBIs, raising his season average to .261. Andrew McCutchen was 3-4 on the day with two RBIs, raising his season average to .253. Jung Ho Kang also added a hit and scored a run as his average currently sits at .307.

Jose Tabata didn’t get a hit for the first time this season (in only his third at-bat). Antonio Bastardo may have been the lone disappointment for the Pirates this game, as he gave up a home run in the eighth inning. His ERA for the season stands at 5.56.

What’s Next

The Pittsburgh Pirates (20-22) square off against the New York Mets (24-20) and try to go for the sweep on Sunday afternoon. Francisco Liriano (1-2, 4.15 ERA) takes the mound for the Pirates a he hopes to recover from his last start when he gave up seven runs in just two innings pitched. Liriano will face Jonathon Niese (3-4, 3.72 ERA) as first pitch is set for 1:35 PM at PNC Park.

Next: Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates Face Upstart New York Mets