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 "It's fantastic," the Pittsburgh starter said Thursday night after
Polanco hit a two-run homer and tripled, providing some of the run
support for Locke in an 8-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
"I spent the beginning of 2014 in Triple-A with him, and that was
like his big coming-out party," Locke said. "He was hitting leadoff
and doing things that leadoff guys don't typically do. He's four
steps around the base and he's on the next base already. He hits the
ball over the fence. He makes great plays. To see him come up here
and make that kind of impact at this level, can't say enough about
that."
Locke (2-3) gave up two runs and struck out six in seven innings as
Pirates won for the fourth time in their past five games, this time
on 11 hits.
"I just look at them and they're just a real good-hitting ball
club," Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said. "This is the first
time I've seen them, but they just keep coming at you. They're just
dangerous guys and you've got to hit your pitches and make your
spots and we didn't do that."
 Starling Marte, in his first game back from paternity leave, drove
in two runs for Pittsburgh, John Jaso was 3-for-4 with a triple, an
RBI and two runs scored.
Right-hander Wilfredo Boscan, making his major league debut, gave up
a single and struck out two in pitching the final two innings for
the Pirates.
"Running out to the mound from the bullpen was unbelievable," Boscan
said through a Spanish interpreter. "I felt great. I felt confident.
It just felt good to be able to produce."
Atlanta starter Mike Foltynewicz (1-2), facing Pittsburgh for the
first time, gave up four earned runs, five total, on seven hits in
three innings.
"A lot of hits came with two strikes and they were all up in the
zone," Foltynewicz said. "If they were in the bottom of the zone,
things might have been different. I just really wanted to get the
team a win tonight. I think I just tried to do too much. I tried to
throw the ball too hard."
Jeff Francoeur was 3-for-4, including a solo home run in the sixth
that pulled the Braves to within 6-2. It was Atlanta's sixth homer
of the four-game series after entering the series with only nine,
but that didn't stop the Pirates from taking three of the four.
Pittsburgh scored twice in the first. Jaso led off with a single to
left. Two outs later, Jung Ho Kang was hit on the back of the knee
with a Foltynewicz pitch. Kang and Jaso advanced on a passed ball
and scored on Marte's bloop single to right for a 2-0 lead.
Francoeur's single and a walk to Tyler Flowers left Locke with a
two-on, no-out situation in the Atlanta second, but the Braves did
not score.
"You put two guys on and you maybe feel like you're on the ropes a
little bit," Locke said. "It's great to get out of those innings."
The Pirates added three runs in the second with another a two-out
rally.
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After Chris Stewart and Locke grounded out, Jaso tripled to the
right-center field wall and Andrew McCutchen drove in Jaso with a
single to right to make it 3-0. That gave McCutchen 612 career hits
at PNC Park, tying him with Jack Wilson for the most in the
ballpark's history.
Polanco's homer to left stretched Pittsburgh's lead to 5-0.
"It's fun to watch him holding that (No. 3) position in the lineup,"
Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said of Polanco. "Getting his swing
off at that point in time in the game to give us some separation was
real good to see."
The Braves got back-to-back doubles by Francoeur and Flowers to lead
off the fourth, pulling Atlanta within 5-1. The Braves have at least
one double in 11 straight games.
Polanco led off the Pirates' fifth with a triple off the right-field
wall and scored on Kang's sacrifice fly to left for a 6-1 lead.
NOTES: SS Erick Aybar was scheduled to be in the Atlanta lineup but
got a chicken bone lodged in his throat earlier in the day. A doctor
sedated him and removed it. Daniel Castro started at short instead.
... Braves OF Ender Inciarte was given the day off and was not in
the starting lineup. ... In Atlanta's 3-1 victory Wednesday, Braves
interim manager Brian Snitker, 62, who is in his 40th season with
the organization, became the first manager age 60-plus to get his
first major league win since Bobby Mattick did so for Toronto in
1980 at 64. ... Atlanta played the seventh game of a 10-game road
trip. It had stops in Kansas City and Pittsburgh before a weekend
series at Philadelphia starts Friday. ... With OF Starling Marte
back from the paternity list, Pittsburgh optioned INF Alen Hanson to
Triple-A Indianapolis. ... The Pirates also brought up RHP Wilfredo
Boscan from Indianapolis and optioned LHP Cory Luebke to Triple-A.
... Pittsburgh C Elias Diaz (elbow) was transferred from the 15-day
DL to the 60-day DL. ... The U.S. Open trophy was on display in the
Pirates' clubhouse before the game. Several players posed for
pictures with it. The major golf tournament will be played next
month at Oakmont Country Club in suburban Pittsburgh.
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reserved.]
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