A.J. Burnett struck out 8, walked none, but lacked good location in 9-3 loss

A.J. Burnett Saturday night flashed excellent stuff like he has for most of the season but he lacked excellent location in a Pirates 9-3 loss to the Nationals on Saturday night.

Burnett in 5 2/3 innings, struck out 8 and walked none, but was pounded for 11 hits and 5 earned runs.

Burnett escaped the first three innings by being down just 1-0, the one-run being a mental error from Burnett in not covering home on a wild pitch in the second inning, and things got away from him in the fourth. Burnett hit two batters in the fourth, loading the bases and Gio Gonzalez hit a two-out grounder that Burnett failed to handle, scoring Yunel Escobar and Michael Taylor would later push the Nationals lead to 3-0 with an RBI single.

In the fifth Bryce Harper drove a Burnett pitch to the bullpen fence with a one-out double as Burnett’s location was off again, followed by a single from Escobar that put runners at first and third that set up the Nationals to go-ahead 4-0 moments later with an RBI single from Clint Robinson, and Anthony Rendon’s sacrifice fly to make it 5-0 would end Burnett’s night.

The struggles for Burnett all night was missing on his pitches as his breaking ball was off and like the Pirates made Max Scherzer pay Friday night, the Nationals made Burnett pay tonight.