Rodriguez, Pirates zip Braves
PITTSBURGH — Wandy Rodriguez faced the minimum while throwing seven innings of one-hit ball to outpitch Tim Hudson and help the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Atlanta Braves 6-0 on Friday.
Hudson came up short in his first attempt at win No. 200.
Pedro Alvarez homered for the second consecutive game and Russell Martin, Neil Walker and Travis Snider each reached base three times for Pittsburgh, which has won seven of its past 10 games after a 1-5 start to the season.
Scratched from his most recent scheduled start after leaving his previous outing in the third inning because of a strained hamstring, Rodriguez (2-0) allowed only Jason Heyward’s one- out single in the fourth. Justin Upton followed by grounding into a double play.
Rodriguez struck out five without a walk.
Mark Melancon pitched a perfect eighth and Vin Mazzaro allowed Andrelton Simmons’ leadoff single in the ninth before finishing off the shutout win, Pittsburgh’s third this season.
The Braves ( 13- 3) have not scored in their three losses this season.
Hudson (2-1) fell to 199-105 in his 15-year career and 6-6 against the Pirates. His next victory will allow him to join Andy Pettitte and Roy Halladay as the only active 200-game winners.
It was apparent Hudson did not have his best stuff right from the start. He was tagged for five extrabase hits in the first two innings, and two other Pirates outs in that span were hard-hit lineouts.
The notoriously streaky Alvarez went homerless in his first 14 games before taking Julio Teheran deep in the series opener Thursday. Friday’s second- inning shot with Walker aboard cleared the section of seats that sit above the 21-foot wall in right field.
Later in the inning, Jose Tabata doubled in Martin.
Hudson was chased after allowing the first four batters of the fifth inning to reach. The final hitter he faced, Garrett Jones, lined a single down the left-field line with the bases loaded, driving in Tabata and Snider. Snider was 2-for-3 and has a seven-game hitting streak.
Former Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm will face Pittsburgh tonight.