Article: Andy LaRoche single sparks Pirates

ATLANTA -- Game-time temperature Thursday afternoon at Turner Field was a humid 86 degrees, but Paul Maholm and Javier Vazquez created a steady breeze.

The two starting pitchers dueled deep into the game, striking out a combined 20 batters, before Pirates third baseman Andy LaRoche poked a two-out, two-run single in the top of the ninth inning for a 3-1 victory over Atlanta.

"It was hot," Maholm said, "but it was fun. It seemed like (Vazquez) was striking out everybody. I knew I had to put up a zero."

LaRoche's full-count single up the middle off Braves reliever Rafael Soriano (1-1) scored Andrew McCutchen and Adam LaRoche, as the Pirates rebounded from two one-run losses to split the series.

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