Burnett goes the distance to lead Pirates over Rockies
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.