The Pirates got another strong outing from A.J. Burnett on Thursday as the right-hander won his eighth-straight start. He allowed three runs over six-plus innings in Pittsburgh's 5-4 victory over Philadelphia. "The numbers might [exceed expectations]," manager Clint Hurdle said. "But as far as coming in and competing, I don't have expectations. I was a young player, a bunch of expectations were put on me. I have experience with that. I tell them what I expect from them as far as preparation and focus and those things. Once they compete, A.J. has pitched well. The fact that he has run off eight in a row, that's significant, but there is a lot more that goes with that."