SAN FRANCISCO -- His left oblique no longer a painful obstacle, Francisco Liriano is starting to look like the dominant pitcher he was for Pittsburgh in 2013. With the Pirates in the thick of the race in the NL Central, the timing couldnt be better. Liriano struck out a season-high 11 in seven innings to win consecutive starts for the first time this season and Pittsburgh beat the San Francisco Giants 3-1 on Tuesday night. "I was just trying to hit my spots, make some good pitches," said Liriano, who last won consecutive starts nearly a year ago. "My last start and tonight, everythings getting better pitching-wise and Im getting ahead with the fastball." Josh Harrison hit a leadoff home run in the first inning and Travis Snider added a two-run shot in the second for the Pirates, who moved within one game of first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central. A former minor league prospect for the Giants, Liriano (3-7) gave up a home run to Mike Morse but was otherwise stellar while leading the surging Pirates to their eighth win in 11 games. The left-hander allowed four hits, walked one and retired 18 of the final 21 hitters he faced. More importantly, Liriano threw first-pitch strikes to 19 of the 26 hitters he faced. Hes 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA over the last three starts. "I thought it was his best outing," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "The fastball played so well, he was able to get them into a swing mode. This is a guy who was a huge part of the success we had last year. Thats why I felt it was important to get him up and running again." San Francisco lost its sixth straight, matching its longest skid of the season. Harrison hit a 3-2 pitch from Giants starter Tim Hudson off the facing off the brick wall in right field for his first career leadoff home run. Harrison is hitting .583 (7 for 12) with a double and three home runs over his past three games. Snider hit his seventh homer after Ike Davis reached on an infield single leading off the second. It was just enough to help the Pirates (57-49) move a season-high eight games over .500. Mark Melancon worked the ninth for his 20th save. Buster Posey had three of the Giants six hits, including a leadoff single in the ninth. Pablo Sandoval followed with a deep fly out to right before Melancon struck out Morse and pinch-hitter Travis Ishikawa. "Were sputtering with the offence," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "We just cant string together a few hits. We have to find a way. Its tough to go through this." Hudson (8-8) allowed six hits over seven innings and took his sixth loss in the last eight starts. NUMBERS The Pirates have won 17 consecutive games when scoring first. ... The Giants have lost eight of their last nine series at AT&T Park. ... Posey hadnt had a multi-hit game at home since June 26. ... Hudson is 1-6 with a 4.32 ERA over his past eight starts. POWER OUTTAGE San Francisco has scored just five runs over its past five games and has had four extra-base hits during that span. TRAINERS ROOM Pirates: Outfielder Starling Marte ran the bases but has not yet been cleared to play after being placed on the 7-day concussion list. Marte is eligible to come off the DL on Wednesday but no move is expected. Giants: Right-hander Matt Cain plans to meet with specialist Dr. James Andrews this week to get a second opinion on his injured elbow. Bochy said the move is precautionary and that surgery has not yet been discussed. ON DECK Tim Lincecum (9-7) pitches the finale for the Giants on Wednesday. Charlie Morton (5-10) goes for the Pirates, who are seeking their first sweep at San Franciscos waterfront ballpark since 2007. Replica Soccer Jerseys . J.J. Hardy drove in a run for the Orioles, who bounced back from an 8-4 loss in the series opener on Friday. Fresh off the 15-day disabled list, Derrek Lee went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Jake Arrieta (7-3) gave up three runs on five hits over six innings to pick up the win. Soccer Jerseys Outlet ., climbed from seventh to fifth spot in womens competition Sunday at the ISU world junior figure skating championships. https://www.soccerjerseyschina.us/ .C. United to a 4-1 victory over short-handed FC Dallas on Saturday night. Stitched Soccer Jerseys .Y. - The New York Yankees made it official Saturday, announcing the completion of a seven-year deal with free-agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and a one-year contract for returning starter Hiroki Kuroda. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys China . He made another correct read. The Browns, who have been shuttling quarterbacks on and off the field all season, finally got some good news on that front: Campbells ribs are only bruised.ST. LOUIS -- Bosnia-Herzogovina made its second appearance in St. Louis in six months. This time, it gave its large, raucous local fan base plenty to cheer about. Edin Dzeko scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast on Friday night in the run-up to the countrys first World Cup appearance. "We knew they were going to be a powerful team with good pace and they showed that," goalkeeper Asmir Begovic said. "It was a good test for us to play against a good team and we enjoyed it." Its estimated more than 30,000 Bosnians relocated to St. Louis from the former war-torn Yugoslavia, and the games have provided an opportunity to display national pride. Argentina shut out the national team 2-0 in November across downtown at Busch Stadium. "It was the engagement, Im happy with the way they were involved in the game," coach Safet Susic said through an interpreter. "The last time they left disappointed, not in the result, in the way they played." Long-time Ivory Coast standout Didier Drogba scored on a free kick in the 91st minute. The 36-year-old Drogba did not start but had another good scoring chance after entering in the second half. "The coach needs to see everyone before he makes his decisions," Drogba said. "I feel good. I was working out, I was injured a few weeks ago and I worked hard to come back to fitness. Im pretty happy with what Im doing at the moment." Drogba was almost apologetic about getting the free kick, said it was "not a good reason." The attendance was 14,101, less than half thee turnout for the Argentina match and more than 50,000 shy of capacity at the Edward Jones Dome while the Cardinals-Giants game was sold out.dddddddddddd Virtually all of the fans were near field level and Bosnian supporters concentrated behind the net defended by team in the first half did their best to make up for the low numbers, chanting and singing songs to an incessant drum beat. Fans hurled numerous smoke bombs and some flares, too, in the vicinity of Ivory Coast goalkeeper Sylvain Gbouhouo in the second half. Gbouhouo tossed them aside when he had the chance while clouds accompanied by an acrid odour hung over the pitch. "It is something which is normal for us, for our supporters," Susic said. "We have had more." A grass field at the dome, where the Rams play on field turf, was installed earlier in the week for the game. Crews began digging it out a little more than an hour after the game ended. Dzeko, a striker for Manchester City and Bosnias top offensive threat, scored 10 of the countrys 30 goals in World Cup qualifying. Dzeko had an empty net in the 17th minute after an Ivory Coast defender blocked a shot by Zvjezdan Misimovic. He corralled a hard pass from Miralem Pjanic in the 53rd minute and scored just inside the left post. Bosnian forward Vedad Ibisevic, who played at Saint Louis University, was a reserve and entered in the 60th minute. Susic said Ibisevic didnt start because he didnt want two offensive players at forward. Next week, Bosnia plays Mexico in Chicago and Ivory Coast plays El Salvador in Frisco, Texas. ' ' '