A.J. Burnett (6-9, 3.18 ERA) suffered his 9th loss of the season in a Pirates 4-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants Sunday afternoon. Burnett went 7 1/3 innings, allowing 8 hits and 4 earned runs, while striking out 6 and walking 3. Burnett has allowed at least four runs in three of his last four starts. With his pitch count at 105 after 7 innings, manager Clint Hurdle sent Burnett out for the 8th inning with the Pirates down 1-0 and that’s when the Giants struck as Pablo Sandoval crushed a two-run triple to right center off Burnett. Burnett would end up throwing 116 pitches in the game, a season high for the 36 year old and the highest pitch count for Burnett since August 26, 2011. Hurdle on sending Burnett out for the 8th inning with his pitch count already over 100: “It was his game out there, gave him the ball, got a lot of confidence in A.J. to get out of it,” Hurdle said.

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