Mike Burrows pitches career-high 6 innings, but Pirates fall to Arizona in extras

Following a rough pre-All-Star break start July 12 in Minnesota, Mike Burrows was determined to learn from it and be better.

Burrows was better July 19, giving him some momentum for his Friday night start at PNC Park as the Pittsburgh Pirates opened a three-game series against Arizona.

While Burrows pitched a career-high six scoreless innings, picking up his first big-league quality start, the Pirates managed only one hit against the Diamondbacks and fell 1-0 in 11 innings.

“Everything was working,” manager Don Kelly said of Burrows. “Changeup was really good. Breaking ball, I thought, was really good, too, and was able to command the fastball like we talked about, which is a huge key for him.”

With Braxton Ashcraft pitching the top of the 11th and Corbin Carroll the automatic runner, Geraldo Perdomo moved his teammate up a base with a sacrifice fly. One batter later, Eugenio Suarez produced the game’s only run with another sacrifice fly, plating Carroll.

In the bottom of the 11th, Andrew McCutchen quickly moved auto runner Liover Peguero to third with a flyout.

Arizona left fielder Lourdes Gurriel then robbed Bryan Reynolds of a hit and RBI with a sliding grab.

Gurriel tumbled making the catch, seemingly presenting Peguero with a potential opportunity to score, but the 24-year-old, who entered the game that inning as a pinch-runner, was off the base and not in ideal position to tag up.

Nick Gonzales then grounded out to end the game.

After the game, Kelly and Peguero addressed the play at third.

“If (Gurriel) catches it, the only way (Peguero) scores is if he falls when he catches it,” Kelly said. “… If he short-hops it, if you’re on the bag, you can’t score. And if he catches it standing up and you’re tagging, you can’t score on it either. It’s too close to be able to tag.”

Added Peguero: “The first thought process right there is, I need to score. But I also got to be (in) good position to have a good read. Obviously, like Donnie said, that ball wasn’t hit very far. So right there, you just gotta be a little bit halfway, make sure you get a good read, like I said. I think it’s a tough one.”

Ashcraft (2-1) pitched a scoreless 10th for the Pirates (42-62) and was charged with the loss, while Diamondbacks reliever Kevin Ginkel closed the door in the 11th.

Ke’Bryan Hayes, the 10th-inning auto runner, advanced to third with one out, but the Pirates were unable to bring him home.

Burrows allowed three hits, striking out five with a walk while throwing 62 of his 86 pitches for strikes.

Isaac Mattson, Dennis Santana and David Bednar followed by delivering a combined three scoreless innings.

Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson matched Burrows with six scoreless innings, while Anthony DeSclafani and Ginkel combined for five scoreless innings in relief.

Burrow got off to a good start, but the Pirates were unable to provide any support.

Pham did manage his first triple of the season, a towering fly ball that bounced off the lower-right corner of the Clemente Wall in the second, but the Pirates stranded him shortly thereafter.

“You’re not going to win many games when you get one hit,” Kelly said. “We swung the bats really well against Detroit, and we need to get back after that. Just a frustrating game.”

In the fifth, Burrows surrendered his first hit of the night, an infield single to Gurriel.

Jake McCarthy followed with a single, but Burrows recorded the inning’s final out on a grounder to second base off the bat of Jose Herrera.

The highlight of the top of the sixth was when Carroll attempted to stretch a single into a double, but center fielder Oneil Cruz picked up an outfield assist by gunning him down sliding into second base.

Arizona put runners on second and third after a pair of hits off Mattson in the seventh, but he struck out Tristan English for the final out, keeping the game scoreless.

Santana took over in the eighth for the Pirates and also kept the game tied at zero despite issuing a pair of walks.

Henry Davis was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the eighth, giving the Pirates a rare baserunner, but DeSclafini recorded three straight outs from there.

Cruz and Pham both walked in the ninth, but Hayes grounded out softly, sending the game into extra innings.