A.J. Burnett allowed career-high 14 hits in Friday’s loss but his will to keep Pirates in game impressed

A.J. Burnett allowed a career high 14 hits and the Pittsburgh Pirates winning streak came to an end Friday night with a 4-1 loss to Washington Nationals. Despite Burnett allowing 14 hits and 15 runners reaching base, he found a way to keep the Pirates in the game. The Pirates offense, though, was stagnant producing just 1 run, 6 hits and one extra-base hit.

Burnett on the night went 6 2/3 innings, allowing 14 hits, 4 runs (3 ER), while striking out 7 and walking 1. He threw 98 pitches, His will to compete impressed his manager.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pitcher go into the seventh giving up double-digit hits like that and have the game still in hand,” Clint Hurdle said via Pirates.com. “It wasn’t his ‘A’ stuff. But his will to compete got things done and kept us in the ballgame.”

The Nationals felt they were able to hit Burnett so well because he had the ball up a bit. “The ball was up a little bit for A.J. tonight and we took advantage of it,” Nationals manager Matt Williams said. “We had a lot of opportunities out there, which we created, and that’s great.”

Burnett fell to 6-3 on the season with a 2.05 ERA.