Framber Valdez pitched seven strong innings, Isaac Paredes homered twice, and the Houston Astros beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-2 after a lengthy rain delay.

Framber Valdez pitched seven strong innings, Isaac Paredes homered twice, and the Houston Astros beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-2 after a lengthy rain delay

PITTSBURGH - After waiting out the rain, the Houston Astros won a series behind a surging starter. Framber Valdez spun seven strong innings. An offense shut out a night earlier stirred. And the Astros won 8-2 in the rubber game of a series against the Pirates on Thursday at PNC Park.

Pittsburgh’s Mike Burrows held Houston in check into the sixth inning to pick up the first victory of his career as a starter as the Pirates topped the Astros 3-0

Rookie Mike Burrows threw a career-high 5 1/3 innings as the host Pittsburgh Pirates shut out the Houston Astros 3-0 on Wednesday night.

The Pittsburgh Pirates blanked the Houston Astros in a 3-0 victory on Wednesday night at PNC Park. Four Pirates pitchers combined for their seventh shutout of the season. Pirates starting pitcher Mike Burrows pitched 5 and 1/3 innings of shutout ball in the best outing of his career thus far.