Nova, Polanco lead Pirates to 7-1 victory over Astros

Meanwhile, the Astros offense couldn’t do much against former Yankee Ivan Nova, as the righty threw a complete game.

According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Astros are -119 money line favorites versus the Pirates, who have odds of +109 to pull off the upset tonight at home.

It was the fourth complete game of the right-hander’s seven-year career with the others coming in 2013.

“I mentioned to our offensive coordinator Jeff Branson that I liked the way he scripted his first 20 plays”, manager Clint Hurdle said, using an appropriate football reference.

“I throw a lot of strikes and that’s been a strength for me”, he said. The 23-year-old was ripped for eight runs on 11 hits – three home runs – and a walk while notching just two strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

Pittsburgh Pirates Jameson Taillon threw a season-high eight innings but came away with a 3-1 loss to his hometown Houston Astros. The Astros are now 3 1/2 games behind the Orioles for the second wild card in the AL, while the Bucs are 3 1/2 games behind the Cardinals in the NL.

Nova is doing his best to keep the Pirates’ hopes of a fourth consecutive postseason appearance alive after being traded for the first time in his career. “This is not what I was looking for”.

“It’s always good to be wanted and the Pirates made that clear when they offered the extension”, Freese said. Jon Lester allowed one run, five hits and struck out eight in six innings of work to improve to 14-4.

It marked the second time this season and in his career Polanco hit two home runs in a game. “With our outfielders, they’re very athletic and they’ll run down most pitchers’ mistakes”. Joyce doubled toward PNC Park’s left field notch, scoring Frazier from first, before McCutchen sent a double of his own into the same exact spot to give the Pirates an early 2-0 lead.Polanco quickly smacked a pitch into the gap but only managed a single that was good enough to drive in McCutchen.

In total, the Pirates recorded 11 hits – fiv. Joyce and Bell added two hits each.

The Astros’ Marwin Gonzalez had three hits. Brad Peacock went two, allowing a run on two hits and and two walks, and Michael Feliz threw a scoreless frame in the eighth. He has allowed a combined 13 runs in 9 1/3 innings while losing his last two starts.

“He’s learning”, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “That’s part of the nature of having young starters”. He has pitches to do it. “He has a ton of competitiveness in him”. 3B Luis Valbuena (strained right hamstring) will be examined by doctors Wednesday to determine whether he needs season-ending surgery. George Springer has hit 131 times with 93 runs, 25 homers and 72 RBI. 3B/OF Yulieski Gurriel (right hamstring tightness) did not start for a second straight game after making his major league debut Sunday but is expected to be in the lineup Wednesday.

Giants (68-56) at Dodgers (69-55), 10:10 p.m. ET: Madison Bumgarner (12-7, 2.25 ERA) and Kenta Maeda (12-7, 3.29 ERA) begin a crucial three-game series between the NL West contenders.

The Astros are 13-3 in their last 16 Wednesday games, and 5-0 in McHugh’s last five inter-league starts.

Tuesday night will be the middle game of this three game series as Ivan Nova (9-6, 4.83 ERA) faces Joe Musgrove (1-1, 4.18 ERA).