Pirates 3, Braves 1
Neil Walker hit a go-ahead homer and Brian Burres pitched six strong innings in his first start in over three months as the Pittsburgh Pirates posted a 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Labor Day.
After Jose Tabata led off the sixth inning with a single against Atlanta starter Tommy Hanson (9-11), Walker drove a 1-0 fastball over the center field wall to provide Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead and extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Walker is batting .404 (23-for-57) during the span and has belted five homers in his last nine games.
Burres (3-3), who last started in the major leagues on May 29, allowing four runs and seven hits in five innings in a 6-3 loss to Atlanta, yielded just a run and five hits through six frames in this one. After loading the bases with none out in the second, the 29-year-old left-hander yielded just a run on a sacrifice fly by David Ross. He retired 10 straight between the fourth and sixth innings.
Chris Resop worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, Evan Meek stranded two in the eighth and Joel Hanrahan worked the ninth for his fourth save.
Hanson allowed three runs - two earned - and four hits over six frames for the Braves, who have lost four of five but remain one-half game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. The Phillies split a day-night doubleheader with Florida on Monday.