Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Pedro Alvarez recorded his third career
multi-homer game, teaming with Casey McGehee to drive in seven combined runs
in a 9-2 Pirates victory over the Indians.
Alvarez, who was a heralded prospect only a few years ago before teetering
with a bust label in the last couple seasons, helped Pittsburgh score nine or
more runs for only the third time this season (64 games).
The majors' worst offensive team snapped a four-game losing streak in the
process.
A.J. Burnett (7-2) accomplished something on Saturday that no Pittsburgh
pitcher has since the days of East Division championships and Barry Bonds home
runs. After allowing two runs in 6 2/3 innings, Burnett won his sixth straight
start, the first Pirate to do so since Doug Drabek in his Cy Young Award-
winning season of 1990.
Asdrubal Cabrera homered for the Indians, who have lost four of five. Ubaldo
Jimenez (6-5), coming off his first walk-free start of the season, issued two
free passes while giving up four runs and seven hits in six innings.
Michael Brantley, who came into the game riding a 22-game hit streak, went 0-
for-3.
Cabrera's homer opened the scoring in the first inning, but Alvarez tied the
score with a leadoff shot in the second.
An inning later, Neil Walker drew a one-out walk, stole second, moved to third
on an infield single and scored on Garrett Jones' single to right.
Casey Kotchman tied the game again with a solo homer in the Cleveland fifth,
but Jimenez failed to shut down the Pirates in the home half. Following a
leadoff single by Jones, McGehee crushed a homer to left that put the visitors
ahead for good.
An Alex Presley homer off Tony Sipp in the seventh provided the Pirates with a
three-run cushion, and Pittsburgh poured on four more in the ninth with a
McGehee two-run single and Alvarez two-run homer off Nick Hagadone.
Game Notes
Jimenez recorded six strikeouts...Burnett had two strikeouts and four
walks...Brantley's 22-game hit streak is the longest in the majors this
season...McGehee has two or more hits in four of his last five games.
The Sports Network