Coming off the worst two-start stretch of his 12-year big-league career, Andrew Heaney delivered arguably one of his best in the Pirates' 7-0 rout of the Cardinals tonight at PNC Park. 

Heaney, who struggled with command in allowing 14 earned runs over his previous two outings against the Tigers and Brewers, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Victor Scott II ended his hopes with a two-out single. He ended up going another inning, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out seven over 6 2/3 innings. 

Heaney said he worked on a few mechanical things this last turn through during his bullpen session and felt better. He wasn't super comfortable or "really rhythmic," but things changed while he was warming up in the bullpen prior to tonight's start. 

"Felt a little bit better," Heaney said. "Just tried to take it into the game. Just felt like the ball was going in the direction that I was trying to get it to go to. Makes it a little bit easier to work sides of the plate. Everything's a little bit more through the zone. I think we had a good game plan, too. Talked with Joey (Bart) before the game, he had a couple nuggets for me that I thought helped a lot. Just kind of went with that." 

Don Kelly said pregame that a lack in fastball command may have contributed toward Heaney's lack of success the last two times out. This time around, Heaney was attacking with the fastball, generating six fielded outs, finishing off two of his strikeouts with it and allowing just one hit with it. 

"Fastball command was really good, which opened up everything else," Kelly said. "I mean, what a start by him. We needed it. The bullpen has been taxed. To go that deep into the game and shoot, carry the no-hitter into the sixth inning, phenomenal start."