Pittsburgh, PA – A.J. Burnett tossed his first complete game of the season and Russell Martin smacked a three-run homer in the Pittsburgh Pirates' 5-1 win over the Colorado Rockies in the finale of a three-game set.
Burnett (5-7) fanned nine and surrendered just a run on eight hits and a walk for Pittsburgh, which has won six of its last eight games.
"This was his best game of the season," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of his starter.
Juan Nicasio (6-6) allowed four runs on six hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings for the Rockies, who have dropped six of their last seven tilts.
"(Nicasio) kept the game close," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He grinded."
The Pirates plated a run in the first, another in the third and three more in the fifth to jump out to a 5-0 lead.
Starling Marte began the home first with a double to right-center and scored two batters later on Andrew McCutchen's single to right. Garrett Jones' sacrifice fly in the third made it 2-0.
In the fifth, McCutchen worked a one-out walk before Pedro Alvarez singled. Manny Corpas replaced Nicasio on the mound and Martin ripped his three-run shot around the foul pole in left to increase the advantage to 5-0.
A Jonathan Herrera RBI single in the seventh got the Rockies on the board and cut the deficit to 5-1.
Game Notes
Burnett had lost five of his last six decisions coming in ... The Pirates were 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position, while Colorado finished 1-for-7 with RISP.
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