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Pittsburgh Pirates' Rod Barajas scores after a throwing error by Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Doug Fister during the second inning of a baseball game Friday. (AP photo / June 22, 2012) |
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A.J. Burnett pitched six shutout innings to win his seventh consecutive start and the Pittsburgh Pirates won for the fifth time in six games, 4-1 over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.
Burnett (8-2) allowed two hits and three walks and struck out four to extend his streak of starts that resulted in victories to the longest for a Pirates pitcher in 38 years. Doc Ellis won eight consecutive outings in 1974.
Burnett matched his career high by winning a seventh consecutive decision.
Andrew McCutchen went 3-for-4 to improve his batting average to .346 and Rod Barajas added two hits for the Pirates (37-32), who matched a season high by going five games over .500.
Ramon Santiago had an RBI double for the Tigers, who had won four of five. Detroit missed a chance to move back to .500 for the first time since being 18-18 on May 15.
