Pirates 7, Astros 5 (11)
Pinch-runner Josh Harrison scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball in the 11th inning of Pittsburgh’s 7-5 win over Houston on Sunday afternoon at Minute Maid Park.
Harrison ran for Brandon Wood, who led off the inning with a double against Mark Melancon (5-3). Harrison took third on an infield error and scored when Houston catcher Humberto Quintero allowed an inside pitch to get past him and roll to the backstop.
Pittsburgh added two insurance runs - one on Alex Presley’s third RBI single of the game, the other on a throwing error by reliever Aneury Rodriguez - to prevail in the rubber match of the three-game series. Pittsburgh is now 9-3 against Houston for the season.
Chris Leroux (1-0) earned his first major league victory with one scoreless inning of relief. Chris Resop picked up his first major league save despite allowing a solo homer by Quintero with two outs in the 11th.
Houston wasted a three-hit effort by Jeff Keppinger, who scored three runs and drove in a pair with his fourth home run.