Pirates 6, Astros 3
Kevin Correia pitched six strong innings, Alex Presley scored three runs and Brock Holt drove in two as host Pittsburgh defeated Houston for the second straight night.
Correia (10-8) allowed one run and four hits as the Pirates moved within 1 1/2 games of the St. Louis Cardinals for the final National League wild-card spot.
Jared Hughes pitched two scoreless innings of relief and Jason Grilli allowed a two-run homer in the ninth to Houston’s Brandon Laird before getting the final out as Pittsburgh won just the ninth time in 26 games.
The Pirates scored twice in the opening inning against Astros starter Fernando Abad (0-3) on run-scoring singles by Garrett Jones and Gaby Sanchez.
Pittsburgh made it 3-0 in the third on Holt’s run-scoring single before Houston got on the board in the fourth on a run-scoring single by Brian Bogusevic.
Presley smacked a run-scoring triple in the fourth and scored on Holt’s sacrifice fly as the Pirates boosted the lead to 5-1.
Clint Barmes squeezed home a run in the sixth to give Pittsburgh a five-run lead. Laird’s ninth-inning homer was his first as a major-leaguer.
Abad allowed five runs (four earned) and six hits in four innings.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Sanchez went 3-for-4 for his second three-hit game in 30 contests since the Pirates acquired him from the Miami Marlins. … OF J.D. Martinez batted clean-up for the Astros and was 1-for-4 in his first major-league game since a three-week-plus demotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City. … Pittsburgh OFs Travis Snider (hamstring) and Jose Tabata (foot) were both unavailable after being injured during Tuesday’s contest. … Houston 3B Matt Dominguez (wrist) and OF Fernando Martinez (boil on thigh) were scratched from the lineup and 3B Scott Moore (groin) left during the bottom of the sixth inning.