The Atlanta Braves will be hoping to win their sixth straight series after being swept by the New York Mets to open the season. The team has used stellar starting pitching and timely hitting to win 12 of their past 15 games. They hope to continue their recent success when the Pirates invade Turner Field in Atlanta. What are the pitching matchups for the weekend series?

Friday, April 27 – Tommy Hanson vs. A.J. Burnett

The Atlanta ace will take the hill for the Braves, as he will hope to improve on his 2-2 record. In 24 innings this season, he has allowed nine earned runs with 23 strikeouts and a 3.38 ERA. In his career against the Pirates, Hanson is 0-1 with a 3.75 ERA.

In his return to the National League, Burnett has made just one start, throwing seven shutout innings with seven strikeouts and just five base runners allowed. In 18 appearances against the Braves, he is 5-9 with a 3.74 ERA.

Saturday, April 28 – Randall Delgado vs. Erik Bedard

The Atlanta rookie has gotten off to a shaky start this season, but with the struggles of Jair Jurrjens, will remain in the rotation for the foreseeable future. He is 2-1 this season with a 5.74 ERA, recording 17 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings.

The veteran left hander has gone 0-4 this season, but deserves much more. Bedard has allowed two earned runs or less in all four starts, recording a 2.62 ERA. His offense has left him hanging, scoring a total of three runs in his starts. He will be making his third career start against the Braves and hopes to improve on his 0-1 mark against them.

Sunday, April 29 – Tim Hudson vs. Kevin Correja

Hudson will be making his first start of the 2012 season, as he has missed the opening month as he has been recovering from back surgery. Hudson has won 181 games in his career, including 85 in Atlanta. He is 5-5 in his career against the Pirates, recording a 2.85 ERA in 75 2/3 innings.

Correja is 1-0 this season in three starts, allowing just four earned runs in 18 innings. He has pitched well in his career against the Braves, appearing in nine games, including five starts. He is 2-1 with a 3.90 ERA and will need to have his best stuff with Hudson ready to make a major impact in his first appearance.

For access to Atlanta Braves season recaps from 1990-present, a look at trades that changed Braves history, or a look at the greatest award winners in team history, go here for easier access.

More from this contributor:

Freddie Freeman 2012 MVP threat?

Dan Uggla Ready to Bounce Back in 2012

Top Athletes to Return from Retirement and have an Impact

Remembering Skip Caray

Rise and fall of Andruw Jones

Hobson Lopes has been a life-long Atlanta Braves fan, thanks to TBS, and can be followed on Twitter @HobsonLopes.

PITTSBURGH — Pedro Alvarez hit his second home run of the day, Charlie Morton pitched seven solid innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Colorado Rockies 5-1 to split a doubleheader on Wednesday.

Colorado broke up James McDonald’s no-hit bid in the seventh inning of the opener on its way to a 2-1 win.

Alvarez helped Pittsburgh’s tepid offense tie a season high in runs in the second game, hitting a solo shot down the right-field line off Jhoulys Chacin (0-2) to cap a five-run fifth.

Morton (1-1) benefited from an offense that broke out of a season-long slump, at least for an inning.

Garrett Jones went 3 for 4 in the nightcap, including a two-run shot off Chacin as baseball’s lowest scoring offense gave its pitching staff some help.

Despite the outburst Pittsburgh set a major league record by playing its 18th straight game starting the season in which neither team scored more than five runs, surpassing the standard set by the 1943 Detroit Tigers.

The Pirates began the day dead last in the majors with 36 runs scored. They’ve managed to hang around thanks to a pitching staff second in the National League in ERA (2.72).

Pittsburgh wasted another outstanding effort in the opener. McDonald ended up with a no-decision after the Rockies scratched across two runs — on just three hits — to win.

Morton appeared in danger of the same fate. He cruised through the first five innings but the game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when Pittsburgh got to Chacin.

Alex Presley doubled with one out and Nate McLouth send a fly ball to left that Colorado’s Carlos Gonzalez lost in the late afternoon sun. Gonzalez stuck out his glove but the ball landed just in front of it for an RBI double.

Andrew McCutchen followed with an RBI single, just the second time all season the Pirates have had a two-run lead with their starting pitcher in the game.

It didn’t stay 2-0 for long. Jones hit his third home run and Alvarez — whose average jumped from .108 to .156 on the day — clanged Chacin’s offering off the pole in right for his fourth homer of the season.

Morton didn’t let the surprising cushion go to waste. Ramon Hernandez provided Colorado’s only run with a solo homer in the seventh. But other than that Morton was effective, striking out two, walking one on 100 pitches.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking forward to getting the 2012 season underway. Many memories were made in 2011 and plenty more will be created this upcoming season. Will this be the year the Pirates surprise everyone and dominate the National League?

Note: All start times Eastern

April 2012

Thu 5, Philadelphia Phillies at Pittsburgh Pirates, 1:35 p.m.

Sat 7, Philadelphia Phillies at Pittsburgh Pirates, 7:05 p.m.

Sun 8, Philadelphia Phillies at Pittsburgh Pirates, 1:35 p.m.

Tue 10, Pittsburgh Pirates at Los Angeles Dodgers, 4:10 p.m.

Wed 11, Pittsburgh Pirates at Los Angeles Dodgers, 10:10 p.m.

Thu 12, Pittsburgh Pirates at Los Angeles Dodgers, 10:10 p.m.

Fri 13, Pittsburgh Pirates at San Francisco Giants, 4:35 p.m.

Sat 14, Pittsburgh Pirates at San Francisco Giants, 9:05 p.m.

Sun 15, Pittsburgh Pirates at San Francisco Giants, 4:05 p.m.

Mon 16, Pittsburgh Pirates at Arizona Diamondbacks, 9:40 p.m.

Tue 17, Pittsburgh Pirates at Arizona Diamondbacks, 9:40 p.m.

Wed 18, Pittsburgh Pirates at Arizona Diamondbacks, 3:40 p.m.

Fri 20, St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates, 7:05 p.m.

Sat 21, St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates, 7:05 p.m.

Sun 22, St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates, 1:35 p.m.

Mon 23, Colorado Rockies at Pittsburgh Pirates, 7:05 p.m.

Tue 24, Colorado Rockies at Pittsburgh Pirates, 7:05 p.m.

Wed 25, Colorado Rockies at Pittsburgh Pirates, 12:35 p.m.

Fri 27, Pittsburgh Pirates at Atlanta Braves, 7:35 p.m.

Sat 28, Pittsburgh Pirates at Atlanta Braves, 7:10 p.m.

Sun 29, Pittsburgh Pirates at Atlanta Braves, 1:35 p.m.

Mon 30, Pittsburgh Pirates at Atlanta Braves, 7:10 p.m.

Sources:

All data provided by MLB.com

Paul Rados is a Cleveland based freelance sportswriter and Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP)—If Casey McGehee can settle in at a new position this
spring, he might finally find a home with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

McGehee was drafted in 2003 as a third baseman by the Chicago Cubs. Over the
past three seasons, he started 353 games at third for the Milwaukee Brewers. And
then, of course, the Pirates traded for him in December.

To play first base.

“Hopefully, we can stop the merry-go-round and end my tour of the National
League Central,” McGehee said Friday before the Pirates’ first full-squad
workout of spring training.

To do that, McGehee must indeed become a first baseman. The Pirates want
McGehee, a four-year veteran, to platoon with Garrett Jones, a left-handed
hitter, as they try to build off last year’s success.

Oh, and by the way: McGehee has started just one game in his career at first
base.

“He’s got limited experience at first, but we had him out there moving
around and I don’t think it’s going (badly),” manager Clint Hurdle said.
“We’ll see where the competition takes us.”

If things go well, McGehee might become the full-timer there. A right-handed
batter, he hits as well against righties (.266 batting average, .428 slugging
percentage) as he does against lefties (.261, .420).

Jones, 30, shows power against right-handers (.275, .483), but has no
success against left-handers (.199, .364).

Somewhere in there for the Pirates, there’s a happy medium.

The Brewers lost patience with McGehee last season, when he hit .220 with
hit a career-low 13 homers. He said an early-season funk led him to tinker too
much with his swing.

“Sometimes, I lose sight of the fact that I’m plenty strong enough and I
don’t have to be grunting, spitting and sweating on every pitch, trying to drive
the ball,” McGehee said. “This year, my focus is just on trying to hit balls
hard with backspin. If I do that consistently, I’ll hit my fair share of home
runs.”

McGehee is, at best, an average fielder with limited range. Surgeries in
2009 and 2010 to remove bone fragments in his right knee limited his offseason
conditioning.

This past winter, McGehee worked with a nutritionist in Tennessee and
reformed his eating habits, including a 10-day stretch during which he ate
nothing but fruits, vegetables and beans. He reported to Pirates camp at 220
pounds, about 25 lighter than at the end of last season.

“I really don’t care what the scale says,” McGehee said. “I just wanted
to get in shape and be strong. It just so happened that I ended up losing
weight, so it was good all the way around.”

Notes: Pirates owner Bob Nutting will be in camp to address the team on
Saturday. … Team president Frank Coonelly indicated he will perform some sort
of public service with an anti-drunk driving group. Coonelly faces four charges
stemming from a Dec. 22 DUI incident in suburban Pittsburgh. “I’ve learned
lessons and I intend to be supportive of organizations that work to make sure
that type of conduct doesn’t happen,” Coonelly said. “Exactly how that will be
done has not been determined yet.” … Right-hander Charlie Morton is slated to
throw his first round of batting practice on Wednesday. Morton, who is
recovering from hip surgery, is about a week behind the other starting pitchers
in camp.

The Pittsburgh Pirates started the season strong but finished in fourth place in the National League Central, 24 games behind the division-winning Milwaukee Brewers.

Along the way, they picked up first baseman Derrek Lee(notes) from the Baltimore Orioles. He hit .337 with seven homers and 18 RBIs in 28 games for the Pirates. He’ll soon be a free agent and it isn’t clear if he is aiming to stick around in Steeltown or head elsewhere.

What is clear, though, is that the team will attempt to re-sign Lee, according to PittsburghPirates.com. “The club realizes it lacks in options at first base, and Lee showed (when he was healthy) how substantial an impact he can have in the middle of this Pirates lineup,” the site reports. “The organization is willing to make a competitive offer to try and convince Lee to stay, but no one seems to have much inkling as to whether Lee is interested in seriously entertaining that option.”

The 36-year-old is a two-time All-Star who was the National League batting champion in 2005 when he was with the Chicago Cubs. He’s also won three Gold Gloves and helped the 2003 Florida Marlins win a World Series. Lee has also spent time with the San Diego Padres, the team that drafted him, and Atlanta Braves. “Lee did leave the door open to retirement,” the site reports.

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Source: PittsburghPirates.com

Related: Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been so bad in the second half of this season that you almost just want to leave them alone in their misery during the final hours of their 19th straight losing campaign.

But then you see this oh-so-representative (and awesome) picture of manager Clint Hurdle in the dugout.

You also learn that they have been historically bad since reaching the dizzying heights of first place in July.

All-time bad, in fact.

So, really, what other choice do you have but to pause, look at the wreck and post that picture? None, I’m afraid.

According to columnist Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the 2011 Bucs are now the not-so-proud victims of baseball’s greatest plunge from first place. Citing the research of Elias, Kovacevic notes that no other team in history has put together a worse record — 16-40 — after leading their division at the 100-game marker.

What’s worse, the next-closest free fallers aren’t actually close at all.

From the T-R:

The Pirates’ 16-40 record down the stretch makes for a .286 winning percentage. Next-worst was the 1977 Chicago Cubs, who went 60-40 to lead their division through 100 games, then went 21-41 for a .339 winning percentage.

These Pirates went from delight to disgrace before Regis Philbin could break out one chorus of “We Are Family.”

Of course, because it’s the Pirates, there’s a particularly cruel twist: Game No. 101 was the infamous 19-inning affair in Atlanta that ended with umpire Jerry Meals making one of the worst calls in history. Meals is a Bartmanesque anti-hero in this case — Pittsburgh would have likely plummeted without his atrocity — but that probably doesn’t make it any easier for Pirates fans to digest.

So, as we enter the final six games of the season, there’s a chance they could fumble further than the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins to end up as the second-worst team in the National League. But even if they don’t, the Pirates will be heading into an offseason where they’ll have to reconcile the great successes of the first half and individual growth with the complete business-as-usual suckitude of the second.

As Kovacevic notes, that’s not going to be easy.

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Related: Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Ryan Ludwick’s single in the bottom of the ninth drove in the winning run and the Pittsburgh Pirates came back from a blown save in the top of the inning for a 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.

Ludwick’s fly ball to deep center field fell for a single and scored pinch-runner Chase d’Arnaud from second after pinch-hitter Jason Jaramillo had doubled to left with one out.

Garrett Jones homered for the first time in more than a month for Pittsburgh (70-87), which reached 70 wins for the first time since 2004.

The Pirates had been a strike away from that elusive 70th victory, but closer Joel Hanrahan hit Todd Frazier in the hand with a 98 mph fastball, the eighth pitch of a dramatic at-bat with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the ninth.

The blown save was Hanrahan’s fourth save in 43 opportunities.

Paul Janish had two hits and an RBI and Joey Votto had his 99th RBI for the Reds.

A year after winning the National League Central title, Cincinnati (76-81) is assured of its 10th losing season in the past 11 years.

Ryan Doumit had two hits and an RBI and Andrew McCutchen added two hits for Pittsburgh, which won for the second in its past seven games overall and second time in its past seven home games.

Pirates starter Jeff Locke was on a pitch limit and was lifted after 4 2-3 innings when his 80th pitch became an RBI double by Votto.

That left two men on, but Daniel Moskos got Jay Bruce to strike out swinging to end the inning.

Making his third career start, Locke was charged with one run, six hits and two walks.

(Sports Network) – If the Pittsburgh Pirates won’t cooperate, the Arizona
Diamondbacks won’t mind getting help from elsewhere.

The Diamondbacks seek to avoid a series loss this afternoon in the finale of a
three-game series with the Pirates and lower their magic number of three for
clinching the National League West.

Arizona moved closer to securing its first division title since 2007 on
Tuesday despite a 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh. That’s because the Giants lost to
the Dodgers, maintaining the Diamondbacks’ 5 1/2-game edge for the division
lead with seven games to play.

Following an off day on Thursday, the Diamondbacks open a three-game series
with the visiting Giants.

Daniel Hudson was tagged with the loss on Tuesday after giving up three runs
on seven hits over five innings. The rough outing snapped Arizona’s two-game
win streak and was their sixth loss in the past eight games versus Pittsburgh.

“Give them credit, he made some mistakes and they got on him,” Diamondbacks
manager Kirk Gibson said of Hudson’s outing.

For the Pirates, Charlie Morton hurled six scoreless innings and both Pedro
Alvarez and Derrek Lee hit home runs. Pittsburgh snapped a four-game slide in
which it had been outscored, 29-4.

“The timely hits, we could use a few more of those,” said Pittsburgh manager
Clint Hurdle. “Both teams left a large amount of people on base but we did
play excellent defense.”

Ross Ohlendorf will start today’s finale for the Pirates fresh off his first
victory in over a year. The righty improved to 1-2 with a 6.82 earned run
average in seven starts this season after holding the Dodgers to a pair of
runs on four hits over a season-high seven innings on Thursday.

Ohlendorf struck out six without a walk in his first win since July 2, 2010,
and also hit a three-run homer off Dodgers starter Dana Eveland.

“I was really excited,” Ohlendorf said of his first career homer. “Dana knew I
wasn’t a very good hitter. It was a first-pitch fastball and I got lucky.”

The 29-year-old is 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA in two career starts versus Arizona.

Wade Miley will make his seventh career start this afternoon for the
Diamondbacks and had a three-decision win streak end on Friday with his first
loss since his MLB debut on Aug. 20.

The 24-year-old southpaw pitched well in a loss to the Padres, hurling five
scoreless innings after giving up a pair of runs during a 28-pitch first
inning.

“I wasn’t very effective in the first inning. I got behind guys and wasn’t
making good pitches,” Miley said.

Miley is 3-2 with a 4.24 ERA on the year and faces the Pirates for the first
time.

The Sports Network

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates activated left fielder Jose Tabata from the disabled list on Tuesday and optioned slumping third baseman Pedro Alvarez to Triple-A Indianapolis for the second time this season.

Tabata had been out since June 27 with a strained left quadriceps. He played in 13 minor-league rehab games with Class A Bradenton and Indianapolis, hitting a combined .293 with six doubles.

Tabata was in the lineup Tuesday night and batting leadoff against St. Louis. Tabata was hitting .265 with three home runs, 15 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 71 games when he was hurt in a game against Boston as he beat out an infield single.

“I’m excited to be back and a little nervous, too,” Tabata said. “It’s been a long time. It kind of feels like opening day again.”

Alvarez has hit .196 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 56 games in two stints with the Pirates. He won the National League rookie of the month award last September.

“We still believe in Pedro and that he will be a big part of what we’re doing here,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “I told him to go down, embrace it as a challenge and swing the bat with bad intentions.”

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

PITTSBURGH (AP)—The Pittsburgh Pirates activated left fielder Jose Tabata(notes)
from the disabled list on Tuesday and optioned slumping third baseman Pedro
Alvarez(notes) to Triple-A Indianapolis for the second time this season.

Tabata had been out since June 27 with a strained left quadriceps. He played
in 13 minor-league rehab games with Class A Bradenton and Indianapolis, hitting
a combined .293 with six doubles.

Tabata was in the lineup Tuesday night and batting leadoff against St.
Louis. Tabata was hitting .265 with three home runs, 15 RBIs and 14 stolen bases
in 71 games when he was hurt in a game against Boston as he beat out an infield
single.

“I’m excited to be back and a little nervous, too,” Tabata said. “It’s
been a long time. It kind of feels like opening day again.”

Alvarez has hit .196 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 56 games in two
stints with the Pirates. He won the National League rookie of the month award
last September.

“We still believe in Pedro and that he will be a big part of what we’re
doing here,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “I told him to go down,
embrace it as a challenge and swing the bat with bad intentions.”

PITTSBURGH — The fading Pittsburgh Pirates finished up the worst homestand in their 125-year history and lost their 10th straight game overall, beaten by Mat Latos and the San Diego Padres 7-3 Sunday.

Latos’ mastery continued the misery for the Pirates, who completed an 0-7 stay at PNC Park against the last-place Padres and Chicago Cubs, two teams that were a combined 39 games under .500 when the week began.

Pittsburgh was winless on a homestand of at least seven games for the first time in franchise history, STATS LLC said. No team in the majors has had a homestand that long without a win since Kansas City in May 2006.

The Pirates, in first place in the NL Central on July 26, were outscored 59-25 by the Cubs and Padres. The bad week came after they got swept in Philadelphia.

Pittsburgh will try again to break its skid Monday night at San Francisco against the World Series champion Giants.

A day after the Pirates held a players-only meeting following a 13-2 loss, they trailed 7-0 going into the bottom of the eighth.

The Padres got a run on a wild pitch by Daniel McCutchen and another that was set up by catcher Ryan Doumit’s throwing error on a pitchout, two plays that exemplified Pittsburgh’s recent futility.

Latos (6-11) allowed only two singles until Doumit and Pedro Alvarez singled to open the eighth. Brandon Wood followed with a home run off Chad Qualls.

Will Venable had three hits and drove in two runs and Logan Forsythe had three RBIs as the Padres completed their third sweep of the season. San Diego has won four in a row.

Playing without top hitter Chase Headley, who sustained a broken left little finger on Saturday, the Padres continued their offensive renaissance at the hands of the beleaguered Pirates.

San Diego came into the series last in the National League in average, runs, home runs and extra-base hits. They left it having scored 35 runs in three games.

This is the Pirates’ longest losing streak since a 12-game slide June 6-18, 2010, a season in which they lost 105 games.

The crowd of 35,601 meant a total of 112,618 saw the series, the fourth-largest in PNC Park history. While fans on Friday and Saturday often resorting to booing, Sunday’s scene never got ugly. Pirates fans were even given a reason to cheer when Wood homered, his seventh, cut San Diego’s lead to 7-3.

Pittsburgh’s Xavier Paul then singled with one out, but Qualls got the Pirates’ two best hitters, Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker, to ground out harmlessly to end the inning.

Forsythe, in the lineup to replace Headley at third base, had an RBI groundout in the second against Kevin Correia (12-10) and a two-run single in the sixth. Venable added a two-run double in the eighth.

Signed in the offseason as a free agent from San Diego, Correia had allowed one run on three hits through 5 2-3 innings before running into two-out trouble in the sixth. He was charged with four runs on five hits and four walks, falling to 2-8 at home this season.

Kyle Blanks hit a grand slam and drove in five runs and the San Diego Padres again beat free-falling Pittsburgh, 13-2 on Saturday.

“Losing nine is no fun for anybody,” starter Paul Maholm said. “But nobody’s holding a pity party for us. I’m sure there’s a lot of people that are having fun with the fact we’re losing, but we’re just going to get over it and come back tomorrow and expect to win.”

Last in the National League in runs and homers, San Diego set a club record for runs in consecutive games with 28 — they won 15-5 Friday — according to information provided by the Pirates from the Elias Sports Bureau. The Padres hit a grand slam in consecutive games for the first time in 20 years.

Fans at PNC Park booed as the game got out of hand, leaving Pittsburgh 0-6 on its homestand. Blanks’ slam off Chris Resop in the seventh inning made it 11-1.

The Pirates were in first place on July 26, but have dropped 11 of 12 while plummeting out of the NL Central lead. Pittsburgh fell nine games behind division-leading Milwaukee, prompting a players-only team meeting after the game.

“We’ve got to get back to the attitude we had at the beginning of the season,” outfielder Garrett Jones said. “Get our mindset back to where it was. Get that swagger —that was the word we were using — and that attitude of ‘We’re gonna win every game.’”

Saddled with a major North American professional sports record 18 consecutive losing years, the Pirates were as many as seven games over .500 in July. But the team’s sudden slump has been just as stunning as its ascension to respectability after losing 105 games in 2010.

“They’re the same guys who were lighting some things up and people were cheering for and writing good stories about,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “Right now, we’re battling all over the place. It seems real hard for somebody different every night where there’s some adversity that comes into play, so we’re all in it together. We’ve got to keep fighting for one another and keep fighting through it.”

The last-place Padres have pounded Pirates pitching for five home runs in winning the first two games of the series and have won three in a row overall.

The Padres had not hit a grand slam this season until Chase Headley did it Friday night. After hitting his first homer the day before, Blanks’ shot Saturday marked the first time San Diego had hit slams on consecutive days since Aug. 13-14, 1991, when Fred McGriff had both. Cleveland was the most recent team to do it, Sept. 17-18 of last season.

“We talk about contagious, and you see that happening a little bit the last couple of nights,” San Diego manager Bud Black said. “There’s a feeling amongst the lineup that they are going to give a good at bat and the result is going to be there.”

Rookie Cory Luebke (4-6) struck out a career-high nine and allowed one run over seven innings. He also had two hits and scored a run to help the Padres win their eighth straight game in Pittsburgh.

Orlando Hudson had three hits and scored the game’s first run on Blanks’ triple in the second. Rob Johnson had three RBIs for San Diego, which had scored a total of 28 runs over its eight previous games before this series.

Luebke came in having lost his previous three starts. He allowed five hits and no walks.

“We got ahead tonight,” Luebke said, “and with me and (Johnson) on the same page all night, when you get that kind of flow with your catcher, it just makes things easier for everybody.”

Maholm (6-12) gave up a season-high seven earned runs and tied a season high for hits allowed with 10. Pittsburgh has lost each of his five starts since the All-Star break.

Jones had a solo home run for the Pirates in the eighth, his 13th and third of the homestand.

“Obviously, we’re not playing well,” Maholm said. “Obviously, we’ve lost some games, and I think everybody on the field was pressing.

“I’ve gone through a few of these losing streaks like this, and whenever it’s going bad, it’s going bad,” he said.

NOTES: According to Elias, the previous Padres record for runs in consecutive games was 27 on Aug. 22-23, 2002. … The Pirates drew their 14th sellout of the year at PNC Park, the most since the stadium’s inaugural season in 2001. … The Pirates had OF Xavier Paul warming up in the bullpen during the ninth inning. … San Diego has never lost a series at PNC Park, winning 25 of 34 games played here. … Former Padres RHP Kevin Correia will face San Diego for the first time Sunday since signing as a free agent with the Pirates in the offseason. Correia was the winning pitcher in San Diego on May 4 but is only 2-7 at home this season.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — One by one, a train of more than two dozen faces emerged from a players-only dining room and into the open expanse of the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse about 20 minutes after the team’s ninth consecutive loss.

No one was talking, but the looks on their faces said it all.

Kyle Blanks hit a grand slam and drove in five runs and the San Diego Padres again beat free-falling Pittsburgh, 13-2 on Saturday.

“Losing nine is no fun for anybody,” starter Paul Maholm said. “But nobody’s holding a pity party for us. I’m sure there’s a lot of people that are having fun with the fact we’re losing, but we’re just going to get over it and come back tomorrow and expect to win.”

Last in the National League in runs and homers, San Diego set a club record for runs in consecutive games with 28 — they won 15-5 Friday — according to information provided by the Pirates from the Elias Sports Bureau. The Padres hit a grand slam in consecutive games for the first time in 20 years.

Fans at PNC Park booed as the game got out of hand, leaving Pittsburgh 0-6 on its homestand. Blanks’ slam off Chris Resop in the seventh inning made it 11-1.

The Pirates were in first place on July 26, but have dropped 11 of 12 while plummeting out of the NL Central lead. Pittsburgh fell nine games behind division-leading Milwaukee, prompting a players-only team meeting after the game.

“We’ve got to get back to the attitude we had at the beginning of the season,” outfielder Garrett Jones said. “Get our mindset back to where it was. Get that swagger —that was the word we were using — and that attitude of ‘We’re gonna win every game.’”

Saddled with a major North American professional sports record 18 consecutive losing years, the Pirates were as many as seven games over .500 in July. But the team’s sudden slump has been just as stunning as its ascension to respectability after losing 105 games in 2010.

“They’re the same guys who were lighting some things up and people were cheering for and writing good stories about,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “Right now, we’re battling all over the place. It seems real hard for somebody different every night where there’s some adversity that comes into play, so we’re all in it together. We’ve got to keep fighting for one another and keep fighting through it.”

The last-place Padres have pounded Pirates pitching for five home runs in winning the first two games of the series and have won three in a row overall.

The Padres had not hit a grand slam this season until Chase Headley did it Friday night. After hitting his first homer the day before, Blanks’ shot Saturday marked the first time San Diego had hit slams on consecutive days since Aug. 13-14, 1991, when Fred McGriff had both. Cleveland was the most recent team to do it, Sept. 17-18 of last season.

“We talk about contagious, and you see that happening a little bit the last couple of nights,” San Diego manager Bud Black said. “There’s a feeling amongst the lineup that they are going to give a good at bat and the result is going to be there.”

Rookie Cory Luebke (4-6) struck out a career-high nine and allowed one run over seven innings. He also had two hits and scored a run to help the Padres win their eighth straight game in Pittsburgh.

Orlando Hudson had three hits and scored the game’s first run on Blanks’ triple in the second. Rob Johnson had three RBIs for San Diego, which had scored a total of 28 runs over its eight previous games before this series.

Luebke came in having lost his previous three starts. He allowed five hits and no walks.

“We got ahead tonight,” Luebke said, “and with me and (Johnson) on the same page all night, when you get that kind of flow with your catcher, it just makes things easier for everybody.”

Maholm (6-12) gave up a season-high seven earned runs and tied a season high for hits allowed with 10. Pittsburgh has lost each of his five starts since the All-Star break.

Jones had a solo home run for the Pirates in the eighth, his 13th and third of the homestand.

“Obviously, we’re not playing well,” Maholm said. “Obviously, we’ve lost some games, and I think everybody on the field was pressing.

“I’ve gone through a few of these losing streaks like this, and whenever it’s going bad, it’s going bad,” he said.

NOTES: According to Elias, the previous Padres record for runs in consecutive games was 27 on Aug. 22-23, 2002. … The Pirates drew their 14th sellout of the year at PNC Park, the most since the stadium’s inaugural season in 2001. … The Pirates had OF Xavier Paul warming up in the bullpen during the ninth inning. … San Diego has never lost a series at PNC Park, winning 25 of 34 games played here. … Former Padres RHP Kevin Correia will face San Diego for the first time Sunday since signing as a free agent with the Pirates in the offseason. Correia was the winning pitcher in San Diego on May 4 but is only 2-7 at home this season.