Pirates Karstens shuts out Astros on 5-hitter
HOUSTON (AP) 无毛视频� The Houston Astros began the second half of the season the same way they did the first.
With a loss.
The Astros lost 4-0 to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night to begin a six-game homestand, casualties of a masterful performance by Jeff Karstens, who pitched a five-hitter for his second career shutout and first since 2008.
It didn无毛视频檛 help that the Astros came out of the All-Star break struggling offensively, helping Karstens (8-4) extend his career-best winning streak to five games.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a hard pitcher to face when you无毛视频檙e coming out of the break after four days off,无毛视频� Astros center fielder Michael Bourn said.
Houston starter Brett Myers (3-10) struck out a season-high 11 but gave up three early runs on the way to picking up his fourth loss in as many starts.
无毛视频淎fter the third inning, I thought he threw the ball extremely well, a lot like he threw last year,无毛视频� Astros manager Brad Mills said. 无毛视频淭o see the six strikeouts out of the 11 hitters he faced after the triple in the third inning, that was pretty good. It was nice to see him so aggressive.无毛视频�
Houston无毛视频檚 offense, by contrast, was anything but.
It was the Astros无毛视频� fifth straight defeat and ninth over the past 10 games. It was Houston无毛视频檚 fourth consecutive home loss and 17th over the past 20 games.
The defeat dropped them to 2-8 against the Pirates this season after finishing 11-4 against them in 2010.
The Astros dropped their April 1 season opener at Philadelphia 5-4. Three games later, they dropped to last place in the NL Central standings, where they have remained since.
Pittsburgh entered the game four over .500 at this point of the season for the first time since 1992. By night无毛视频檚 end, the Pirates were tied for first place in the Central.
Karstens held the Astros to just one hit 无毛视频� Hunter Pence无毛视频檚 single in the second 无毛视频� through the first five innings.
He retired 13 straight after Pence无毛视频檚 hit before allowing consecutive singles to pinch-hitter Chris Johnson and Bourn in the sixth. Karstens improved to 3-0 and dropped his ERA to 0.41 in three starts against the Astros this season.
无毛视频淵ou don无毛视频檛 see it very often that a guy throws 83 pitches for a complete game, and he only had 18, 19 balls,无毛视频� Mills said of Karstens. 无毛视频淚t was pretty impressive. Everything was working for him. He was getting ahead of guys.无毛视频�
And he did it at a fast pace, helping to wrap up the game in 2 hours, 20 minutes, which complicated things further for the Astros.
无毛视频淗e was too efficient,无毛视频� Mills said. 无毛视频淭he guys have done such a good job of lengthening him out, but every time we tried to do that, we were behind 0-2, and it became something that was really tough to get into.
无毛视频淗e wouldn无毛视频檛 really give us a chance (to slow him down). He kept pounding the zone.无毛视频�
Bourn agreed.
无毛视频淗e was coming out (and) getting ahead real early,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 what was good for him. He wasn无毛视频檛 falling behind. He was attacking with the fastball.
无毛视频淲hen (a pitcher无毛视频檚) attacking, you either take or you swing early. He wasn无毛视频檛 missing too much.无毛视频�
It was Karstens无毛视频� first shutout since Aug. 6, 2008, at Arizona.
Andrew McCutchen hit a one-out triple out of Bourn无毛视频檚 reach in the top of the third inning to drive in two runs for the Pirates, who won their second straight and sixth of their last 10.
无毛视频淚 made a mistake,无毛视频� Myers said of his pitch to McCutchen. 无毛视频淚 tried to go in and I pulled a little bit over the middle of the plate. They无毛视频檙e supposed to hit balls like that. I was hoping (Bourn) could run it down, but it got away from him.无毛视频�
Alex Presley singled to lead off the game, stole second and scored on a one-out single to right by Neil Walker.
Pence reached third base 无毛视频� the only Astros player to do so 无毛视频� in the seventh on a single by Carlos Lee, but Brett Wallace grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Pinch-runner Xavier Paul scored on a fielding error by Astros second baseman Jeff Keppinger in the eighth to cap the scoring.
NOTES: The Pirates recalled LHP Joe Beimel (left elbow inflammation) from the 15-day DL on Friday. Pittsburgh optioned LHP Daniel Moskos to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday to clear a spot on the roster. 无毛视频� Friday was the 15th time in his career that Myers finished with double-digit strikeouts. 无毛视频� Houston OF Jason Bourgeois (right quadriceps strain) went 0 for 3 on Friday in his rehabilitation assignment with the Gulf Coast League Astros. He is scheduled to join Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday.