United Group Insurance

Burnett Sparkles as Pirates Trip Cardinals 2-0

Sports

April 21st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A.J. Burnett pitched three-hit ball for seven innings in his injury-delayed Pittsburgh debut and the Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 on Saturday night. Burnett, who missed the first three weeks of the year while recovering from a fractured right orbital bone sustained during a bunting drill in spring training, walked two and struck out seven while giving up just three hits. Joel Hanrahan worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the ninth for his second save of the season. St. Louis starter Jake Westbrook (2-1) gave up a pair of RBI singles to Pedro Alvarez, walking two and striking out six as his ERA moved from 0.64 to 1.31. Westbrook was good but Burnett was better, throwing 53 of his 76 pitches for strikes and looking like the No. 1 starter the Pirates envisioned when they traded for him in February.