SB Nation Arizona - D-backs Fail To Support Yet Another Solid Kennedy Outing, 4-3 Pirateshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46593/arizona-fave.png2010-09-17T19:12:29-07:00http://arizona.sbnation.com/rss/stream/14585272010-09-17T19:12:29-07:002010-09-17T19:12:29-07:00Diamondbacks Out-Suck Pirates Just Enough To Lose 4-3
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<p>Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Ronny Cedeno drove in the winning run with a single in the bottom of the ninth, as the Pittsburgh Pirates snuck past the Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-3, in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park.</p>
<p>Esmerling Vasquez (1-6) took over on the mound in the home ninth with one out and nobody on. He walked pinch-hitter Andrew McCutchen and Ryan Doumit. Cedeno stepped to the plate and drove in McCutchen with a base hit to right.</p>
<p>Doumit and Neil Walker each hit solo homers for the Pirates, who had lost seven of eight. Jose Tabata added an RBI.</p>
<p>Brian Burres went seven innings in the start, allowing three runs -- two earned -- on seven hits. Evan Meek (5-4) recorded the final two outs in the top of ninth to pick up the win.</p>
<p>Gerardo Parra knocked in two runs for the Diamondbacks, who have dropped six of eight. Stephen Drew drove in a run.</p>
<p>Starter Ian Kennedy gave up two runs -- one earned -- on five hits over six innings.</p>
<p>Walker's homer in the first inning gave the Pirates an early lead.</p>
<p>Arizona plated a pair of runs in the third to go in front. Rusty Ryal reached first on third baseman Pedro Alvarez's fielding error and raced home on Parra's double to right-center field. Parra moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Drew's base hit to right for a 2-1 lead.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh scored a run in the fifth to tie the game. Cedeno singled, moved to second on a passed ball, and crossed the plate on Tabata's two-out double to right to make it 2-2.</p>
<p>The Diamondbacks scored a run in the top of the seventh to take the lead. Miguel Montero hit a one-out double and advanced to third on Ryal's groundout. Parra stepped to the plate and hit a bloop single down the left-field line to plate Montero.</p>
<p>Doumit's homer off Blaine Boyer in the home half deadlocked the contest at 3-3.</p>
<p>The Pirates stranded a runner on second in the eighth.</p>
<p>Arizona put together a scoring chance in the ninth. Joel Hanrahan, who pitched a scoreless eighth, stayed on to pitch the ninth. Adam LaRoche walked and was replaced by Justin Upton, who stole second. After Tony Abreu struck out, Montero walked. Meek came in from the bullpen and retired the first two batters he faced to keep it a tie game.</p>
<p>Arizona took two of three from the Pirates earlier in the year...Pittsburgh started a nine-game homestand on Friday...The Pirates have recorded at least one extra-base hit in a season-high 30 consecutive games...Arizona went 3- for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded five.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/2010/9/17/1695738/Diamondbacks-PiratesSeth Pollack2010-09-17T08:24:19-07:002010-09-17T08:24:19-07:00Ahoy! D-backs In Pittsburgh, Baseball Team With Worse Record Spotted, 4:05 P.M, AZT
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<p>(Sports Network) - Former first-round pick <span>Ian Kennedy</span> can reach double-digit wins in his first full major-league season tonight when the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Arizona Diamondbacks</a> kick off a three-game series at PNC Park against the <a href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pittsburgh Pirates</a>.</p>
<p>The 21st overall pick of the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Yankees</a> in 2006, Kennedy had one big- league win to his credit over 14 appearances coming into this season - his first with Arizona following an offseason trade.</p>
<p>The 25-year-old, who has never faced the Pirates, has won three straight since falling to 6-9 on the year with a 7-2 loss to Washington on Aug. 4. He beat San Diego, 7-4, to get to 9-9 and has gotten no-decisions in two straight scoreless outings while allowing just four hits in 14 innings.</p>
<p>The Diamondbacks lost both games, 2-0 and 4-2.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh replies with lefty <span>Brian Burres</span>, a 31st-round pick of the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">San Francisco Giants</a> 10 years ago, who'll make his 98th big-league outing with his third team.</p>
<p>The 29-year-old beat Atlanta, 3-1, for his third win of 2010 on Sept. 6 and subsequently allowed just four hits and a run in seven innings of a 3-1 Pirates defeat of Cincinnati on Sept. 12.</p>
<p>Burres has allowed one run or less in five of his last six appearances, dropping his earned run average from 5.62 to 5.22.</p>
<p>He has no record in two career starts against Arizona with a 5.56 ERA in 11 1/3 innings.</p>
<p>On Thursday in Cincinnati, <span>Rodrigo Lopez</span> tossed seven innings of one-run ball as Arizona used a three-run fifth inning to beat the <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Reds</a>, 3-1, in the finale of a four-game series from Great American Ball Park.</p>
<p>Lopez (6-14), making his 30th start of the season, gave up eight hits to pick up his first victory since July 8 against Florida. He also struck out four and walked zero.</p>
<p><span>Kelly Johnson</span> went 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Diamondbacks, who had lost five of six. <span>Stephen Drew</span> and <span>Gerardo Parra</span> each drove in a run.</p>
<p>In New York, <span>Mike Pelfrey</span> worked seven sharp innings and drove in the go-ahead run to lead the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mets</a> to a 6-2 win over Pittsburgh to finish off a four-game series sweep.</p>
<p><span>Wilfredo Ledezma</span> (0-3) suffered the loss after yielding the game-winning run in the sixth inning for the Pirates, who have lost six out of seven to fall 50 games below the .500 mark.</p>
<p>Arizona took two of three from the Pirates earlier in the year.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/2010/9/17/2321146/ahoy-d-backs-in-pittsburgh-baseball-team-with-worse-record-spotted-4Lolly Konecky