Marquis pitches two-hitter for Padres
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pirates manager Clint Hurdle knows how good Jason Marquis.
Marquis pitched for the Colorado Rockies in 2009, Hurdle's last season in Denver. Marquis won 15 games that season and the veteran right-hander gained the only All-Star selection of his 13-year career.
Marquis flashed that kind of form Saturday night for the Padres, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning before settling for a two-hitter in a 5-0 victory over the Pirates that gave San Diego its 11th straight win in Pittsburgh.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Travis Snider broke up the bid with an infield single off the pitcher's mound leading off the seventh inning. Second baseman Alexi Amarista dove to his right but the ball glanced off his glove.
"He throws that sinker and it can be challenging because you keep wanting to hit him, but you don't hit anything hard," Hurdle said. "You've got to commit to getting that ball up. Easier said than done, though. It's the late, late movement. We didn't square many balls up at all."
Released earlier this season by Minnesota, Marquis struck out four and walked one in his fifth career shutout and first since April 29, 2011, for Washington against San Francisco. Pedro Alvarez was the only other Pittsburgh player to reach base. He walked in the second and singled in the eighth.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"He was just pounding the strike zone with his sinker," San Diego third baseman Chase Headley said. "It was fun to watch."
The Padres, who joined the National League in 1969 as an expansion team, are the only major league franchise without a no-hitter. Johan Santana threw the first one in New York Mets' history on June 1 against St. Louis.
Marquis (6-6), who threw his eighth career complete game, was released by the Twins after going 2-4 with an 8.47 ERA in seven starts. San Diego signed the 13-year veteran as a free agent on May 29.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"You've got to tip your hat to him," Snider said. "We not only didn't get many hits, but we didn't even hit many balls hard against him."
Marquis has never thrown a no-hitter.
"I'd love to have one, that's the goal every time you take the mound," he said. "I gave it a pretty good shot but it didn't quite work out."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}San Diego won its sixth straight game and sent Pittsburgh to its third consecutive loss as the Pirates dropped 4½ games behind Cincinnati in the NL West. The Padres' winning streak in Pittsburgh began in 2009.
Headley hit his third home run in two games for the Padres and Will Venable also went deep. Venable and Marquis each had two of San Diego's 10 hits.
A.J. Burnett (14-4) failed in his bid to become the first Pirates pitcher to win 15 games since Todd Ritchie in 1999 and also had his four-game winning streak stopped.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Burnett allowed five runs — four earned — and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings with 10 strikeouts and two walks. It was Burnett's first loss in eight home decisions and the Pirates had been 10-0 in his starts at PNC Park.
"We were fortunate to score as many runs as he did because Burnett was really tough and his curveball was nasty," Headley said.
Snider left the game after the seventh inning with right hamstring tightness after beating out an infield hit.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Headley's home run, his 18th, with two outs in the first inning opened the scoring. He homered twice Friday night in San Diego's 9-8 win over Pittsburgh.
Everth Cabrera led off the third with a triple and scored on Yonder Alonso's two-out single.
In the fourth, first baseman Garrett Jones booted a grounder by Venable for a two-base error and Cameron Maybin followed with an RBI single to push the Padres' lead to 3-0.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Venable hit his seventh homer to lead off the sixth and Headley drew a bases-loaded walk from Burnett with two outs to round out the scoring.
NOTES: Pittsburgh RHP Kevin Correia will get a second spot start Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers as Hurdle wants to give his starting pitchers extra rest during a stretch during which his team is playing 20 games in 20 days. Correia, who was moved to the bullpen from the starting rotation following the acquisition of LHP Wandy Rodriguez from Houston in a July 24 trade with Houston, also started Wednesday and beat Arizona. Correia has won his last seven decisions to improve to 9-6. ... The crowd of 39,485 was the third-largest in PNC Park's 12-season history with part of the lure being a postgame fireworks extravaganza and concert by Styx. ... San Diego placed RHP Huston Street, who has converted all 21 save opportunities this season, on the disabled list with a strained left calf muscle and recalled RHP Cody Burns from Triple-A Tucson. Street was injured while recording the final out in Friday night's game. ... San Diego RHP Ross Ohlendorf (4-2, 5.61) will face Pittsburgh LHP Erik Bedard (6-12, 4.53) on Sunday in the finale of the three-game series.