Pirates shut down by Astros, 3-1, in fourth consecutive loss

PITTSBURGH _ As is becoming the norm these days, Jameson Taillon did his part. But for the fourth consecutive game, the lineup faltered.

Doug Fister and the Houston Astros beat the Pirates, 3-1, at PNC Park on Monday night. The Pirates (62-60) lost their fourth game in a row. In their past 29 innings, they have scored three runs.

Since returning from the disabled list July 19, Taillon has a 2.35 ERA in seven starts. He struck out 39 batters during that span _ including a career-high eight Monday _ while walking only five. He pitched six or more innings in each of those starts and eight in two of them. Monday, he allowed two runs, courtesy of Teoscar Hernandez's fifth-inning homer, in eight innings of work.

The fact that Taillon has proven himself reliable in his rookie year bodes well for the Pirates rotation, which ranks second in the National League in ERA since the All-Star break. Out, over the course of the summer, went Juan Nicasio, Francisco Liriano, Jon Niese and Jeff Locke; in came Taillon, Ryan Vogelsong, Ivan Nova and Chad Kuhl.

It didn't matter Monday. Just as the Pirates struggled with David Phelps on Saturday and Jose Urena on Sunday, they couldn't solve Doug Fister on Monday. Their first hit came when Gregory Polanco smoked a double off the Clemente Wall with two outs in the fourth. Fister finished seven scoreless innings with three hits and a walk allowed.

Polanco doubled again in the ninth and scored when David Freese's infield single forced a throwing error, but Freese was thrown out at second to end the game.

Taillon struck out five while facing the minimum through three. He kept the Astros off the bases until there were two outs in the fourth, when Jose Altuve's hard line drive caromed off the gloves of both David Freese and Jordy Mercer.

Fister received a two-run lead to protect in the fifth. A.J. Reed walked and Taillon fell behind in the count to Hernandez, 3-1. He missed over the plate with a fastball and Hernandez homered to left.

Two more hits put runners at the corners with nobody out, but Taillon induced a strikeout and a double play to end the inning. He faced the minimum the rest of the way and erased the one batter who reached base with a double play.