 for a two-run shot in the first inning and the Pirates added two runs each in the second and third to build a 6-1 lead and cruise to their fifth victory in six games. Pittsburgh led 8-2 entering the ninth before tacking on six runs when Houston manager AJ Hinch sent first baseman Tyler White to the mound with his team way behind.Agrazal (1-0), called up from Triple-A Indianapolis before the game, yielded five hits and one run in his second career start.Jung Ho Kang added a two-run homer for Pittsburgh. Kevin Newman had four hits, capped by a two-run homer, to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games - longest in the majors.George Springer had three hits, including a leadoff homer in his second game back from the injured list. But the AL West-leading Astros failed to generate much offense besides that as they lost for the eighth time in 10 games.Valdez had a second straight tough outing, getting tagged for eight hits and six runs - both career highs - in just three innings. The performance came after he gave up four hits and five runs in 3 1/3 innings of a loss to the Yankees last time out.Newman hit a leadoff single but was erased when Melky Cabrera grounded into a force out. Bell gave Pittsburgh the early lead with his two-out, two-strike home run to the second deck in right field.Springer got Houston within one when he opened the bottom of the inning with his sixth leadoff homer this season.The Pirates padded the lead in the second when Elias Diaz doubled with no outs and scored on a double by Dickerson. Newman singled with two outs to score Dickerson and make it 4-1.Pittsburgh extended its advantage to 6-1 with two outs in the third on a two-run single by Dickerson.Chris Devenski took over for the fourth inning and retired the first six batters he faced before Dickerson led off the sixth with another double. Kang's sixth homer of the season came next to put the Pirates up 8-1.White, pitching for the fourth time this season, allowed a three-run homer to straightaway center field by Jose Osuna that made it 11-2. Pittsburgh added a run on a sacrifice fly before Newman's homer with two outs pushed it to 14-2.There were runners at first and second with two outs when White was lifted for backup catcher Max Stassi, who retired Bell on a fly ball to end the inning in his first career pitching appearance.TRAINER'S ROOMPirates: RHP Jameson Taillon, who hasn't been throwing since going on the injured list in early May, is expected to play catch this weekend. Taillon, who has a flexor strain in his right elbow, was the team's opening day starter.UP NEXTPirates: RHP Joe Musgrove (5-7, 4.57 ERA) will pitch for Pittsburgh when the series wraps up Thursday. Musgrove, traded to the Pirates in the deal that brought Gerrit Cole to Houston, picked up the win for the Astros in relief in Game 5 of the 2017 World Series.Astros: RHP Brad Peacock (6-5, 3.62) is scheduled to start Thursday. Peacock allowed two runs and struck out 11 over six innings in his last start but took the loss in a 4-1 defeat against the Yankees.---More MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Bullpen has Astros in position to take series from PiratesFLMThe Houston Astros' bullpen, once seemingly infallible with right-handers Will Harris, Ryan Pressly and Roberto Osuna thriving in high-leverage situations, recently showed signs of vulnerability.On Tuesday, however, the Astros took a step toward improving their bullpen depth with the return of right-hander Collin McHugh, who worked a scoreless ninth inning in Houston's 5-1 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.The teams will meet again Wednesday in the middle contest of a three-game set at Minute Maid Park.McHugh missed 34 games after landing on the 10-day injured list due to elbow discomfort on May 21. Previously, he made two relief appearances following his demotion from the rotation.McHugh excelled in relief for the Astros in 2018, finishing 6-2 with a 1.99 ERA over 58 appearances. In three relief appearances this season, he has allowed one run on four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings.Astros manager A. J. Hinch longed to work McHugh back into the mix early in the Pirates series, a strategy that unfolded as planned when Houston scored an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning to open a four-run lead."It'll be important because we need him to be good," Hinch said. "We put him in the bullpen to be a weapon. I was really hopeful that he would get in one of these first couple games but yet not be ... thrust into a big spot."So it was nice that we could tack on that extra run. I rest Osuna, I get (McHugh) in the game and get him back in the flow of being in our bullpen rotation." Left-hander Framber Valdez (3-3, 3.61 ERA) will get the start for the Astros on Wednesday. Valdez, set to make his first career appearance against the Pirates, took his first loss as a starter this year against the New York Yankees on Thursday after allowing five runs on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings.Valdez had surrendered a total of three runs over 13 innings in his previous two starts.Rookie right-hander Dario Agrazal (0-0, 4.50 ERA) will make his second career start for the Pirates on Wednesday.Agrazal, who will be recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis, allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits with three strikeouts over four innings in a 4-3 loss to the Miami Marlins on June 15, a game in which he did not factor into the decision. He is 5-4 with a 3.87 ERA over 13 starts across two levels in the minors this season.Injuries continue to undermine the Pirates' rotation, but the solid start provided by right-hander Trevor Williams on Tuesday offered a ray of hope.While Agrazal plugs a gap Wednesday, Williams showed progress in his second outing following a month-long stint on the IL, allowing four runs over 6 2/3 innings. What Pittsburgh needed from Williams was productivity and good health."It's my second start back off the IL," Williams said. "It's only going to improve my command of the ball and the ability to throw all my pitches. Overall, I felt better. It's not that I didn't feel prepared my last start, I just wasn't as sharp as I was (Tuesday)." --Field Level Media
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