CASPER
New member
ATLANTA (AP)—Andy LaRoche(notes) and the Pittsburgh Pirates started hitting as soon as Javier Vazquez(notes) left the game.
LaRoche delivered a two-out, two-run single in the ninth inning and the Pirates beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 Thursday to split the four-game series.
LaRoche said he was just trying to make contact when he leaned forward to slap a 3-2 pitch from Rafael Soriano(notes) (1-1) up the middle for the tiebreaking hit.
“I’d already said to myself in the dugout ‘Stay short, up the middle,”’ LaRoche said. “I was happy to get a decent pitch to hit and hit it up the middle. … I was lucky. It could have been right at the shortstop.”
The Pirates managed only two hits in eight innings against Vazquez before collecting three hits in the ninth off Soriano.
Vazquez matched his season high with 12 strikeouts and took over the NL lead with 105.
LaRoche delivered a two-out, two-run single in the ninth inning and the Pirates beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 Thursday to split the four-game series.
LaRoche said he was just trying to make contact when he leaned forward to slap a 3-2 pitch from Rafael Soriano(notes) (1-1) up the middle for the tiebreaking hit.
“I’d already said to myself in the dugout ‘Stay short, up the middle,”’ LaRoche said. “I was happy to get a decent pitch to hit and hit it up the middle. … I was lucky. It could have been right at the shortstop.”
The Pirates managed only two hits in eight innings against Vazquez before collecting three hits in the ninth off Soriano.
Vazquez matched his season high with 12 strikeouts and took over the NL lead with 105.