Karstens pitches 7 strong innings, Pirates snap 3-game skid with 7-4 win over Astros

Karstens pitches Pirates to 7-4 win over Astros

PITTSBURGH — Jeff Karstens pitched seven efficient innings to win for the first time in more than a month and the Pittsburgh Pirates roughed up Wandy Rodriguez, snapping a three-game skid with a 7-4 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.

Eric Hinske went 3 for 3 and reached base four times for the Pirates, who had lost six of eight. They are fifth in the NL Central, two games in front of the last-place Astros.

Miguel Tejada doubled twice and drove in two runs to extend his hitting streak to an Astros season-high 13 games. Houston has lost eight of nine.

Rodriguez, who entered leading the NL with a 1.71 ERA, was tagged for five runs and nine hits in 4 2-3 innings. His ERA climbed to 2.26.

Trailing by five heading into the ninth, the Astros loaded the bases against Tom Gorzelanny, prompting Pirates manager John Russell to call on closer Matt Capps. He hit Tejada with a pitch and walked Lance Berkman to make it 7-4, but retired Carlos Lee on a grounder for his 10th save.

Karstens (2-2) threw only 87 pitches, allowing two runs and six hits with a walk and four strikeouts to win for the first time since April 21, his second start of the season. Pittsburgh had lost in four of his five outings since.

Using a lineup that was without three lefty-hitting regulars (Nate McLouth, Adam LaRoche and Brandon Moss), the Pirates jumped on Rodriguez (5-4) immediately.

The left-hander walked leadoff batter Nyjer Morgan, and the next four batters singled. Morgan scored on Freddy Sanchez’s base hit and Andy LaRoche came around on Craig Monroe’s hit.

Two batters later, Robinzon Diaz hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.

Rodriguez was charged with as many earned runs in that inning as he had in his past four starts combined.

Houston got a run each in the third when Tejada doubled in Edwin Maysonet. Jeff Keppinger drove in Lee with a double in the fourth.

Two-out RBI singles by Delwyn Young and Diaz in the fifth gave Pittsburgh a 5-2 lead.

Pinch-hitter Moss doubled in Jack Wilson, and LaRoche drove in Moss in the eighth to pad the lead to five.