It’s been seven years since Pittsburgh won as many as 70 games
in a season. The Pirates waited that long; what was one more
half-inning?

Ryan Ludwick’s single in the bottom of the ninth drove in the
winning run and the 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.

“It felt like it was what I was supposed to do,” said Ludwick, a
trade-deadline acquisition who was hitting .231 in 34 games with
the Pirates. “It’s been a while since I hit a walk-off, but it felt
good.”

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 in 43 opportunities.

“It was one of those days I didn’t have my good stuff, so you
try to find a way to make it work,” Hanrahan said. “It’s a full
count there, and I think I hit my first guy of the year there.
Baseball’s a funny game.”

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

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.

“We hit that young man over there pretty hard,” Reds manager
Dusty Baker said about Locke. “We flirted with the fence probably
five or six times.

“We had plenty of opportunities, but we didn’t get the hit when
we needed it.”

Making his third career start, Locke was charged with one run,
six hits and two walks. He lasted only three innings in his most
recent start.

“It’s a process,” the 23-year-old said. “I’m definitely taking
the mound now, the nerves are gone, the composure’s there. I’m
still leaving some pitches up and falling behind some hitters.”

Janish had an RBI single off Chris Leroux in the sixth, but
Chris Resop, Tony Watson and Jason Grilli combined for two
scoreless innings.

Pinch-hitter Chris Heisey started Cincinnati’s ninth with an
infield single and Brandon Phillips followed with a single. After a
fielder’s choice and a strikeout, Phillips and Drew Stubbs pulled
off a double steal. Bruce was intentionally walked and Frazier was
hit by the pitch.

“They didn’t really hit the ball too hard that inning,” Jones
said. “They had some freak things happen, but we were able to help
Joel out. Ryan came up with the big hit.”

Jones homered for the first time since Aug. 21 after Doumit led
off the second with an infield single. Jones’ homer to right-center
off Edinson Volquez was his 16th and traveled an estimated 458
feet.

Doumit made it 3-0 in the second with a run-scoring single.

Making his third start since being recalled after his second
demotion to the minors this season, Volquez, Cincinnati’s opening
day starter, allowed three runs, six hits and two walks while
striking out five in five innings.

“I felt good. We didn’t win, but that’s part of the game,”
Volquez said. “A lot of things happen during a game, but I was
happy to be back out here and pitch some innings.”

Notes: Barring setbacks, LHP Dontrelle Willis will start for the
Reds on Sunday. He has not pitched since Sept. 12 due to a back
injury. … The announced paid crowd of 23,632 pushed Pittsburgh’s
season total to 1,874,283 _ the fourth-largest in club history. …
The previous time Cincinnati’s Saturday starter RHP Travis Wood
faced Pittsburgh, he had the shortest start of his career, 3 1-3
innings in a 9-3 loss April 18. … RHP Brad Lincoln will make his
final start of the season Saturday for the Pirates after allowing
six runs in 1 2-3 innings in his most recent outing.

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.

PITTSBURGH – Joey Votto hit his 21st homer of the season and later scored the game-winning run in the top of the ninth inning to lead the Cincinnati Reds past the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-8 on Friday night.

Brandon Phillips went 3 for 5 with a home run and four RBIs for Cincinnati, which let a four-run lead slip away. Ryan Hanigan added a solo shot and drove in two insurance runs in the ninth as the Reds beat the Pirates for just the third time in 10 tries this season.

Travis Wood (6-5) picked up the win in relief, getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth when center fielder Drew Stubbs threw out Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen, who attempted to score from third on a shallow fly by Ryan Ludwick. Francisco Cordero pitched a perfect ninth inning to collect his 25th save.

Pittsburgh closer Joel Hanrahan (0-2) took the loss, giving up three runs while getting just one out in the ninth after entering with the score tied.

Brandon Wood broke out of a lengthy slump, going 2 for 3 with three RBIs for Pittsburgh. McCutchen, Garrett Jones, Jose Tabata and Ronny Cedeno also had two hits apiece for the Pirates but Pittsburgh ran itself out of a chance to take the lead in the eighth and Cincinnati made them pay for it in the ninth.

Hanrahan, in the midst of a dominant year, issued a rare leadoff walk to Votto to start the inning. Votto moved to third on a one-out single by Dave Sappelt. Stubbs followed with a chopper to second. Pittsburgh second baseman Neil Walker tried to get Votto at the plate but the ball deflected off catcher Ryan Doumit’s glove. Votto slapped the plate for emphasis and Sappelt and Stubbs both moved up a base as the ball rolled to the backstop.

Hanigan followed with a sharp single up the middle to provide the final margin and chase Hanrahan, who stalked to the dugout after the worst outing of his All-Star season.

Cincinnati’s late surge spoiled a furious rally by the Pirates, who trailed 6-2 after Phillips drilled a three-run homer to left in the fifth.

Pittsburgh started chopping away after manager Clint Hurdle was ejected for the third time this season for arguing with home plate umpire Brian Knight moments after Jones was called out on strikes.

Hurdle, who was well out of eyesight in the dugout when Knight tossed him, appeared to be a little stunned by the early exit. He walked onto the field and engaged in an animated discussion with Knight before crew chief Jerry Layne came in to calm things down.

Hurdle’s passionate plea seemed to spark his club as the Pirates slowly got back in it as Cincinnati’s bullpen faltered following starter Homer Bailey.

Bailey gave up three runs and six hits in five innings, walking three and striking out six. He needed 96 pitches to get 15 outs but the Reds appeared to have things well in hand with a 6-3 lead.

Pittsburgh, however, kept chipping away but got too greedy in the eighth.

The Pirates eventually tied the game at 8-all on a single by McCutchen off Cincinnati’s Nick Masset. Jones, not exactly the fleetest runner, was out by a good 10 feet trying to score from second on the play. Pittsburgh kept the pressure on, however, loading the bases with one out.

Wood came on and induced Ludwick to hit a fly ball to shallow center that Stubbs ran down and his perfect throw to Hanigan at the plate easily beat the speedy McCutchen to keep the score tied and give Cincinnati the boost it needed to put the Pirates away.

Pittsburgh’s rally allowed Kevin Correia to avoid picking up his first-ever loss against the Reds as a starter. Still, he was far from sharp, giving up six runs and eight hits — including three home runs — in six innings, walking one and striking out one to continue his Jekyll-and-Hyde season.

Correia is among the best starters in the baseball on the road. His 10 victories away from home lead the majors.

Things don’t go quite so well when he starts the day waking up in his own bed. His ERA rose to 7.75 in his 12 games on the hill at the quirky ballpark along the Allegheny River.

NOTES: The game started after a 41-minute rain delay. … Wood snapped an 0-for-18 slump with a single to lead off the sixth. … The series continues on Saturday. Charlie Morton (9-6, 3.43 ERA) gets the start for Pittsburgh. Morton is 3-0 with a 0.39 ERA against the Reds this year. Dontrelle Willis (0-3, 4.08) starts for the Reds. Willis left his last start against San Diego with a sore left forearm but was OK’d to pitch after an MRI revealed no significant injury.

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PITTSBURGH — Kevin Correia is convinced he can pitch effectively at PNC Park. The Pittsburgh Pirates starter also knows, however, that he’s running out of time this season to prove it.

Correia struggled again at home on Friday night, getting knocked around for six runs in six innings of an eventual 11-8 loss to Cincinnati.

A late Pittsburgh rally allowed Correia to get off the hook for the defeat. It proved little solace to the veteran right-hander, whose ERA rose to 7.75 in 12 games on the hill at the quirky ballpark along the Allegheny River.

“I still don’t believe it’s a home and road thing,” Correia said. “I’m completely comfortable throwing the ball here. I’ve pitched well in the majority of my starts but I’ve had too many big innings.”

Correia gave up six runs and eight hits — including three home runs — in six innings, walking one and striking out one to continue his Jekyll-and-Hyde season.

The 30-year-old is among the best starters in baseball on the road. His 10 victories away from home lead the majors. His record remains 2-8 at home.

He’s not sure what the issue is, but he got some unexpected help in the video room on Friday when manager Clint Hurdle was ejected in the fifth for arguing balls and strikes. Hurdle took the time to review Correia’s mechanics.

“When he makes a mistake he gets hit,” Hurdle said. “There’s no misses, no line drives at somebody. They’re all squared up.”

Hurdle and Correia missed a wild finish in which Pittsburgh clawed out of a four-run deficit to tie the game 8-8 only to watch it slip away in the ninth thanks to an uncharacteristically sloppy performance from all-star closer Joel Hanrahan (0-2).

The burly right-hander issued a leadoff walk to Toronto native Joey Votto in the ninth and never recovered, giving up three runs while managing to get just one out.

“It just boils down to a leadoff walk right there,” Hanrahan said. “You can’t have that in a situation like that. You’ve got to get the first out and go from there.”

The Pirates had hoped to give Hanrahan the ball with the lead, but some overly aggressive baserunning cost the chance.

Pittsburgh runners were thrown out at home twice in the eighth. Garrett Jones was easily gunned down while trying to score from second on a single by Andrew McCutchen, and McCutchen met the same fate three batters later when Cincinnati centre fielder Drew Stubbs’ perfect throw prevented the speedy McCutchen from scoring on a shallow fly ball by Ryan Ludwick.

“Stubby saved the game,” Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said. “That’s one of best centre fielders around right there. He gets good reads and breaks on balls and he gunned down one of the quickest men in this league.”

Hurdle defended the decision to send both runners.

“(Sending Jones) didn’t work out and I don’t think there’s any doubt you send McCutchen when you’ve got a chance there to put the run in and be on top,” Hurdle said.

Brandon Phillips went 3 for 5 with a home run and four RBIs for Cincinnati. Ryan Hanigan added a solo shot and drove in two insurance runs in the ninth off Hanrahan.

“The way it kept going back and forth, it was like a tennis match out there,” Phillips said. “I’m just glad we came out on top.”

It was a wild end to an eventful day for Cincinnati. Storms knocked out the electricity at the team’s hotel on Thursday night, rattling the normally unflappable Phillips.

“It was crazy when we first got in,” Phillips said. “You’re going to a hotel where you have no AC and no lights. I could have sworn somebody was in my room at one point. I’m not going to lie to you, I was scared.”

Travis Wood (6-5) picked up the win in relief. Francisco Cordero pitched a perfect ninth inning to collect his 25th save.

Brandon Wood broke out of a lengthy slump, going 2 for 3 with three RBIs for Pittsburgh. McCutchen, Jones, Jose Tabata and Ronny Cedeno also had two hits apiece for the Pirates but Pittsburgh couldn’t quite get over the top.

“We kept fighting, we kept scratching and clawing,” Hurdle said. “We kept finding a way to get back in it to tie it up. We were one punch away from creating some serious separation.”

NOTES: The game started after a 41-minute rain delay. … Wood snapped an 0-for-18 slump with a single to lead off the sixth. … The series continues Saturday. Charlie Morton (9-6, 3.43 ERA) gets the start for Pittsburgh. Morton is 3-0 with a 0.39 ERA against the Reds this year. Dontrelle Willis (0-3, 4.08) starts for the Reds. Willis left his last start against San Diego with a sore left forearm but was OK’d to pitch after an MRI revealed no significant injury.

A late Pittsburgh rally allowed Correia to get off the hook for the defeat. It proved little solace to the veteran right-hander, whose ERA rose to 7.75 in 12 games on the hill at the quirky ballpark along the Allegheny River.

“I still don’t believe it’s a home and road thing,” Correia said. “I’m completely comfortable throwing the ball here. I’ve pitched well in the majority of my starts but I’ve had too many big innings.”

Correia gave up six runs and eight hits — including three home runs — in six innings, walking one and striking out one to continue his Jekyll-and-Hyde season.

The 30-year-old is among the best starters in baseball on the road. His 10 victories away from home lead the majors. His record remains 2-8 at home.

He’s not sure what the issue is, but he got some unexpected help in the video room on Friday when manager Clint Hurdle was ejected in the fifth for arguing balls and strikes. Hurdle took the time to review Correia’s mechanics.

“When he makes a mistake he gets hit,” Hurdle said. “There’s no misses, no line drives at somebody. They’re all squared up.”

Hurdle and Correia missed a wild finish in which Pittsburgh clawed out of a four-run deficit to tie the game at 8-all only to watch it slip away in the ninth thanks to an uncharacteristically sloppy performance from All-Star closer Joel Hanrahan (0-2).

The burly right-hander issued a leadoff walk to Joey Votto in the ninth and never recovered, giving up three runs while managing to get just one out.

“It just boils down to a leadoff walk right there,” Hanrahan said. “You can’t have that in a situation like that. You’ve got to get the first out and go from there.”

The Pirates had hoped to give Hanrahan the ball with the lead, but some overly aggressive baserunning cost the chance.

Pittsburgh runners were thrown out at home twice in the eighth. Garrett Jones was easily gunned down while trying to score from second on a single by Andrew McCutchen, and McCutchen met the same fate three batters later when Cincinnati center fielder Drew Stubbs’ perfect throw prevented the speedy McCutchen from scoring on a shallow fly ball by Ryan Ludwick.

“Stubby saved the game,” Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said. “That’s one of best center fielders around right there. He gets good reads and breaks on balls and he gunned down one of the quickest men in this league.”

Hurdle defended the decision to send both runners.

“(Sending Jones) didn’t work out and I don’t think there’s any doubt you send McCutchen when you’ve got a chance there to put the run in and be on top,” Hurdle said.

Brandon Phillips went 3 for 5 with a home run and four RBIs for Cincinnati. Ryan Hanigan added a solo shot and drove in two insurance runs in the ninth off Hanrahan.

“The way it kept going back and forth, it was like a tennis match out there,” Phillips said. “I’m just glad we came out on top.”

It was a wild end to an eventful day for Cincinnati. Storms knocked out the electricity at the team’s hotel on Thursday night, rattling the normally unflappable Phillips.

“It was crazy when we first got in,” Phillips said. “You’re going to a hotel where you have no AC and no lights. I could have sworn somebody was in my room at one point. I’m not going to lie to you, I was scared.”

Travis Wood (6-5) picked up the win in relief. Francisco Cordero pitched a perfect ninth inning to collect his 25th save.

Brandon Wood broke out of a lengthy slump, going 2 for 3 with three RBIs for Pittsburgh. McCutchen, Jones, Jose Tabata and Ronny Cedeno also had two hits apiece for the Pirates but Pittsburgh couldn’t quite get over the top.

“We kept fighting, we kept scratching and clawing,” Hurdle said. “We kept finding a way to get back in it to tie it up. We were one punch away from creating some serious separation.”

NOTES: The game started after a 41-minute rain delay. … Wood snapped an 0-for-18 slump with a single to lead off the sixth. … The series continues Saturday. Charlie Morton (9-6, 3.43 ERA) gets the start for Pittsburgh. Morton is 3-0 with a 0.39 ERA against the Reds this year. Dontrelle Willis (0-3, 4.08) starts for the Reds. Willis left his last start against San Diego with a sore left forearm but was OK’d to pitch after an MRI revealed no significant injury.

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

ATLANTA (AP) — Julio Lugo scored from third base on a contested play at the plate, giving the Atlanta Braves a 4-3 win in 19 innings over the Pittsburgh Pirates early Wednesday morning.

The game, which ended at 1:50 2 a.m., was the longest in Turner Field history and matched the longest in the major leagues this season. At 6 hours, 39 minutes, it was the longest by time for both teams.

Lugo took on Scott Proctor’s grounder to third baseman Pedro Alvarez, whose throw to catcher Michael McKenry easily beat Lugo to the plate.

Lugo tried to avoid McKenry’s tag with a pop-up slide. Replays indicated McKenry made the tag, but home plate umpire Jerry Meals called Lugo safe.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle argued the call vigorously, following Meals off the field as the Braves celebrated.

With one out in the 19th, Daniel McCutchen walked Lugo. Jordan Schafer followed with a single to center, moving Lugo to third.

With their bench and bullpen depleted, the Braves had to let Proctor (2-3), their eighth pitcher of the game, hit for himself. Schafer advanced to second without a throw before Proctor’s grounder led to the final play.

The Phillies and Reds played 19 innings on May 25.

The Pirates’ previous longest game was 6:12 at San Diego on Aug. 25, 1979. The Braves’ previous longest game by time was 6:10 against the Mets on July 4, 1985, at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

The Pirates scored two runs in the first and pushed their lead to 3-0 in the second on McKenry’s homer. The Braves answered with three runs in the third, and the score remained 3-3 through the next 15 innings.

Several thousand fans from the announced crowd of 22,036 were still in the stands in the 19th inning, many standing and chanting.

The Braves lost catcher Brian McCann in the 10th inning when he strained his left oblique. He will be placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday.

McCutchen (3-2) gave up one run in 5 1-3 innings.

The Pirates fell one game behind first-place St. Louis in the NL Central.

The Pirates had a chance to avoid extra innings but wasted a scoring chance in the ninth. McKenry had an infield single off Craig Kimbrel and moved to third on pinch-hitter Brandon Wood’s single.

The Braves called a pitchout as Xavier Paul was squaring to bunt and McKenry was running toward the plate. McKenry stopped too late and was thrown out at third. Kimbrel struck out Paul to end the inning.

Atlanta’s Chipper Jones, who strained his right quadriceps in Monday night’s game, hit a groundout as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.

Jones, 39, came off the 15-day disabled list on Monday following arthroscopic surgery on July 9 to repair torn cartilage in his right knee.

Nate McLouth and manager Fredi Gonzalez were ejected by Meals in the ninth. McLouth struck out swinging and then remained at the plate, apparently to argue a called strike two by Meals. Gonzalez ran onto the field too late to intervene and keep McLouth in the game.

NOTES: It was the Pirates’ longest game since May 27, 2006, when they beat Houston 8-7 in 18 innings. It was the Braves’ longest since Oct. 5, 2006, when they won 7-6 at Houston in 18 innings…. McKenry ended the Pirates’ streak of 77 innings without a homer since a shot by Brandon Wood at Houston on July 16. … Schafer, still bothered by his jammed left middle finger he hurt Wednesday in Colorado, was scratched from the Braves’ lineup. He entered the game in the ninth as a defensive replacement in center. … Pirates C Ryan Doumit (left ankle sprain) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis.

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Johnny Cueto gave up one run over six innings and the Cincinnati Reds ended two games of offensive futility in a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.

Chris Heisey and Jay Bruce had two hits apiece for the Reds, who won for just the second time in nine games this season against the Pirates.

Cueto (6-3) struck out four and walked three to shave his ERA to 1.98 and four Cincinnati relievers made the lead stand up. Francisco Cordero pitched the ninth to pick up his 19th save.

Pittsburgh’s Jeff Karstens (8-5) needed just 76 pitches to get through seven innings, but fell to 1-5 in day games due in part to a pair of errors by shortstop Chase d’Arnaud that opened the door for two Cincinnati runs.

Karstens allowed three runs, one earned on seven hits, walking one and striking out one as his ERA dropped to 2.28, third-best in the National League.

Cincinnati went down meekly in a pair of shutout losses to open the series, leaving 18 runners on base in the process.

Manager Dusty Baker maintained all it would take was a single hit for the Reds to get kick-started. In reality, it was a pair of misplays by d’Arnaud, a rookie who has won Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle over with his toughness but remains inconsistent defensively.

D’Arnaud made a pair of huge plays in a 2-0 win Monday. His diving stop in the hole got Pittsburgh out of a bases-loaded situation in the first inning and his first-to-third sprint in the fourth opened the door for a pair of Pittsburgh runs.

The 24-year-old sat out Tuesday’s 1-0 victory as a precaution. He didn’t exactly look comfortable upon his return. Heisey led off the game with a routine grounder that d’Arnaud threw into the stands. Heisey would later score on a sacrifice fly from Joey Votto to end Cincinnati’s longest scoreless streak in over a year.

Miguel Cairo’s sacrifice fly in the second put Cincinnati up 2-0 and, after Andrew McCutchen’s double cut the lead to one, another d’Arnaud mistake gave the Reds some breathing room. He had trouble coming up with a two-out grounder by Cueto, extending the inning. Heisey followed with a single and the pitcher came home on a single by Edgar Renteria.

It was more than enough for Cueto, who has been the NL’s best pitcher since making his season debut on May 8. He’s now made 11 straight quality starts, the longest streak by a Reds pitcher since Bronson Arroyo put together 13 in 2009.

The Pirates, who woke up in first-place in the NL Central for the second straight day, did little to break Cueto’s rhythm. Hurdle stressed the importance of trying to extend at-bats against Cueto, but they found little punch.

Pittsburgh’s only real threat came in the fourth when Neil Walker was hit by a pitch and McCutchen doubled him home. Cueto worked his way out of the jam and Pittsburgh didn’t get a runner to third the rest of the day thanks to stellar work from the bullpen.

Logan Ondrusek wiggled Cincinnati out of a two-on situation in the seventh, Aroldis Chapman overpowered two Pittsburgh batters in the eighth and the Pirates went down in order in the ninth against Cordero.

Notes: Walker went hitless to three at-bats to end his 13-game hitting streak. … Cincinnati 2B Brandon Phillips was given the day off by Baker, who felt Phillips needed a breather following last week’s trip to the All-Star game. … Pittsburgh LF Jose Tabata was removed from a rehab start in Bradenton due to tightness in his left quadriceps.

 

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are still providing plenty of surprises in their successful first half of the season.

Mike McKenry’s first major league home run, a three-run shot in the eighth inning, rallied Pittsburgh to a 7-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night and assured the surprising Pirates of a winning record at the All-Star break for the first time in 19 years.

The Pirates were 49-39 at the break in 1992 on their way to a third consecutive NL East title. They have had 18 consecutive losing seasons since, a record for major North American professional sports.

“I’ve learned from experience that you don’t put expectations on people,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “You draw up a plan and follow that plan. I don’t what’s going to happen from here on in. I’m not an expert. My job is just to get ready to play. Where that’s going to take us, I don’t know.”

Where it has taken the Pirates so far is contention in the NL Central. They are in a second-place tie with the St. Louis Cardinals, one game behind the Milwaukee Brewers.

Kosuke Fukudome went 1-for-4 for the Cubs in the loss.

Phillies 3, Braves 2 (10)

In Philadelphia, Raul Ibanez hit a solo homer with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the Phillies to a victory over the Braves.

Rockies 3, Nationals 2

In Washington, Jason Hammel pitched into the seventh inning for his second win in 13 starts, and the Rockies beat the Nationals to end a five-game losing streak.

Marlins 6, Astros 3

In Miami, Hanley Ramirez continued his recent torrid hitting with three hits and three RBIs and Javier Vazquez pitched seven solid innings as the Marlins defeated the Astros.

Diamondbacks 7, Cardinals 6

In St. Louis, leadoff man Kelly Johnson broke a seventh-inning tie with his second grand slam of the season and the Diamondbacks’ bullpen barely hung on for a victory over the Cardinals.

Brewers 8, Reds 7

In Milwaukee, Mark Kotsay hit a two-out, two-run single in the ninth off Reds closer Francisco Cordero and the Brewers rallied twice to beat Cincinnati for their third straight victory.

Dodgers 1, Padres 0

In Los Angeles, Chad Billingsley scattered four hits over eight innings and Rafael Furcal singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth to give the Dodgers a victory over the Padres.

Mets 5, Giants 2

In San Francisco, pinch hitter Scott Hairston hit a tiebreaking home run off All-Star closer Brian Wilson in the ninth inning, leading the Mets past the Giants.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Rangers 8, Athletics 5

In Arlington, Texas, C.J. Wilson pitched seven effective innings, Mike Napoli hit a first-inning grand slam off Gio Gonzalez, and the Rangers stretched their winning streak to five games.

Red Sox 10, Orioles 3

In Boston, David Ortiz homered in the Red Sox’s eight-run first inning, then got into a bench-clearing brawl with Baltimore reliever Kevin Gregg.

Blue Jays 11, Indians 7

In Cleveland, Travis Snider drove in five runs and Rajai Davis knocked in four as the Blue Jays rebounded a day after a stunning loss to beat the Indians.

Tigers 6, Royals 4

In Kansas City, Magglio Ordonez’s two-run home run just six pitches into the game staked Rick Porcello to an early lead and got the Tigers rolling.

Twins 8, White Sox 5

In Chicago, Luke Hughes’ three-run homer capped a six-run fourth and the Twins continued their mastery of the White Sox.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka went 1-for-4 for the Twins.

Angels 4, Mariners 3

In Anaheim, Mark Trumbo led off the ninth with a tiebreaking homer, and Hank Conger hit a tying homer in the seventh inning.

Ichiro Suzuki went 1-for-4 for the Mariners in the loss.

Rays at Yankees — ppd.

CHICAGO — The Pittsburgh Pirates scored 13 runs total in Paul Maholm’s first 10 starts this season. On Saturday they hit four homers and crossed the plate 10 times, giving the left-hander a comfortable cushion he’s seldom enjoyed.

The way Maholm was pitching, though, he didn’t need that much help. He mowed down the Chicago Cubs with a three-hit shutout, retiring the side in order in seven of the nine innings of Pittsburgh’s 10-0 victory. It was his first win since April 25.

“You go out there and you do everything you can to make sure the team has a chance. And I think I’ve done that,” Maholm said. “And today the guys broke out and scored a bunch of runs and made it easier on me. And going out there, every pitch wasn’t a nail-biter.”

Ronny Cedeno, Lyle Overbay, Chris Snyder and Andrew McCutchen each homered for the Pirates.

Maholm (2-7) got his third career shutout in a place he’s always pitched well. He’s 8-2 in 15 career starts against the Cubs, including 6-2 in 11 starts at Wrigley Field.

He only needed 91 pitches to finish off the Cubs in a game that took 2 hours, 28 minutes.

“The main thing is that no matter where you pitch, if you execute your pitches and mix speeds it makes it a lot easier,” he said.

“That last inning my goal was to try to get it under 90 pitches, but I’ll take the 92 or whatever it is. It was just something to say you’ve done. With the run support, it was mainly just go out there, attack hitters and let the guys do their job on defense.”

Maholm retired the first 13 batters he faced before Alfonso Soriano doubled in the fifth, driving a ball to the center-field wall that McCutchen leaped for but couldn’t catch. Lou Montanez then reached on an infield single.

Darwin Barney reached on a two-out infield single in the ninth for the only other Chicago hit. Maholm walked none and struck out four.

Pittsburgh had been struggling offensively with only six runs in its previous four games, but broke out on an overcast 61-degree day with their most homers in a game this season.

“I’m sure it’s been frustrating, but he really hasn’t let it show,” Snyder said of Maholm. “He goes about his business. He’s a professional. And like I said, what he did today was nothing different than what he’s been doing all year except for the run support.”

 

Cedeno’s three-run shot capped a five-run fourth that finally gave Maholm a big early lead.

In just his second start of the season and first since April 4, Chicago’s Randy Wells (1-1) lasted four innings after being activated off the disabled list (right forearm strain).

Wells gave up five hits, including Cedeno’s second homer, and five runs with three walks and seven strikeouts in a 92-pitch outing.

Overbay hit his fifth homer, leading off the sixth against reliever James Russell. And one out later, Snyder sent his second homer of the season over the wall in left to make it 7-0. McCutchen connected off reliever Scott Maine in the seventh, his ninth of the season.

McCutchen led off the fourth with a single and made third on Neil Walker’s fly ball double to left that Soriano couldn’t catch. One out later, Steve Pearce hit a two-run single and, after Snyder walked, ex-Cub Cedeno drove a ball over the wall in right-center.

“I got behind a lot of hitters and ran the pitch count up,” Wells said, adding he wasn’t as rusty as he was anxious. “I gave up the double to left there that I thought off the bat was a fly ball out. … You try to control the inning. … I felt confident I could go after Cedeno with the pitcher on deck, just made a bad pitch and left it up.”

Maholm had pitched 6 2/3 innings of scoreless ball at Wrigley Field on April 2, leaving with a 3-0 lead, before the Cubs got five runs in the eighth and he ended up with a no-decision.

His last shutout before Saturday came on July 18, 2010, against the Astros.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was impressed with how Maholm has handled his first 11 starts, through the good run support of Saturday and the leaner times during most of the season.

“All he can control is his job off the mound, and he’s really embraced that,” Hurdle said. “He can’t control run support. He can’t control a lot of other things. But he can control how he pitches. And that’s what he’s locked down on.”

Notes: The Pirates are 16-6 in their past 22 games against the Cubs. … Pearce left the game after the top of the fourth with soreness in his right calf. He was replaced at third base by Brandon Wood. … Walker has hit safely in all 14 of his career games against the Cubs. … Rodrigo Lopez, acquired from Atlanta in a minor-league trade Thursday, will make his first start for the Cubs on Monday against Houston. … Matt Garza, on the DL with a sore elbow, could throw on the side today. … CF Marlon Byrd, recovering from facial fractures after being hit near the eye by Boston’s Alfredo Aceves last weekend, is consulting specialists this week. … Jeff Baker (groin) and Reed Johnson (back) were held out of the lineup Saturday. Baker pinch-hit in the ninth. … Cubs cleanup hitter Aramis Ramirez has one homer all season and that came April 6. … The Pirates put LHP Joe Beimel on the DL with left elbow inflammation and planned to send him back to Pittsburgh to be examined.

The Pittsburgh Pirates scored 13 runs total in Paul Maholm’s first 10 starts this season. On Saturday they hit four homers and crossed the plate 10 times, giving the left-hander a comfortable cushion he’s seldom enjoyed.

The way Maholm was pitching, through, he didn’t need that much help. He mowed down the Chicago Cubs with a three-hit shutout, retiring the side in order in seven of the nine innings of Pittsburgh’s 10-0 victory. It was his first win since April 25.

 

“You go out there and you do everything you can to make sure the team has a chance. And I think I’ve done that,” Maholm said. “And today the guys broke out and scored a bunch of runs and made it easier on me. And going out there, every pitch wasn’t a nail-biter.”

 

Ronny Cedeno, Lyle Overbay, Chris Snyder and Andrew McCutchen each homered for the Pirates.

 

Maholm (2-7) got his third career shutout in a place he’s always pitched well. He’s 8-2 in 15 career starts against the Cubs, including 6-2 in 11 starts at Wrigley Field.

 

He only needed 91 pitches to finish off the Cubs in a game that took 2 hours, 28 minutes.

 

“The main thing is that no matter where you pitch, if you execute your pitches and mix speeds it makes it a lot easier,” he said.

 

“That last inning my goal was to try to get it under 90 pitches, but I’ll take the 92 or whatever it is. It was just something to say you’ve done. With the run support, it was mainly just go out there, attack hitters and let the guys do their job on defense.”

 

Maholm retired the first 13 batters he faced before Alfonso Soriano doubled in the fifth, driving a ball to the center-field wall that McCutchen leaped for but couldn’t catch. Lou Montanez then reached on an infield single.

 

Darwin Barney reached on a two-out infield single in the ninth for the only other Chicago hit. Maholm walked none and struck out four.

 

Pittsburgh had been struggling offensively with only six runs in its previous four games, but broke out on an overcast 61-degree day with their most homers in a game this season.

 

“I’m sure it’s been frustrating, but he really hasn’t let it show,” Snyder said of Maholm. “He goes about his business. He’s a professional. And like I said, what he did today was nothing different than what he’s been doing all year except for the run support.”

 

Cedeno’s three-run shot capped a five-run fourth that finally gave Maholm a big early lead.

 

In just his second start of the season and first since April 4, Chicago’s Randy Wells (1-1) lasted four innings after being activated off the disabled list (right forearm strain).

 

Wells gave up five hits, including Cedeno’s second homer, and five runs with three walks and seven strikeouts in a 92-pitch outing.

 

Overbay hit his fifth homer, leading off the sixth against reliever James Russell. And one out later, Snyder sent his second homer of the season over the wall in left to make it 7-0. McCutchen connected off reliever Scott Maine in the seventh, his ninth of the season.

 

McCutchen led off the fourth with a single and made third on Neil Walker’s fly ball double to left that Soriano couldn’t catch. One out later, Steve Pearce hit a two-run single and after Snyder walked, ex-Cub Cedeno drove a ball over the wall in right center.

 

“I got behind a lot of hitters and ran the pitch count up,” Wells said, adding he wasn’t as rusty as he was anxious. “I gave up the double to left there that I thought off the bat was a fly ball out. … You try to control the inning. … I felt confident I could go after Cedeno with the pitcher on deck, just made a bad pitch and left it up.”

 

Maholm had pitched 6 2-3 innings of scoreless ball at Wrigley Field on April 2, leaving with a 3-0 lead, before the Cubs got five runs in the eighth and he ended up with a no-decision.

 

His last shutout before Saturday came on July 18, 2010, against the Astros.

 

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was impressed with how Maholm has handled his first 11 starts, through the good run support of Saturday and the leaner times during most of the season.

 

“All he can control is his job off the mound, and he’s really embraced that,” Hurdle said. “He can’t control run support. He can’t control a lot of other things. But he can control how he pitches. And that’s what he’s locked down on.”

The ball is finally starting to carry out of Wrigley Field.
Just not for the Chicago Cubs.
Paul Maholm pitched a shutout for his first victory in a month, Ronny Cedeno, Lyle Overbay, Chris Snyder and Andrew McCutchen each homered Saturday, and the Pittsburgh Pirates routed the Chicago 10-0.
Maholm limited Chicago to just three hits — a double by Alfonso Soriano and infield singles by Darwin Barney and Lou Montanez.
While they allowed a season high in homers allowed, the Cubs’ offensive struggles at home were nothing new. They’ve hit just 14 home runs in 27 games at Wrigley Field. And their top four hitters — Tony Campana, Starlin Castro, Aramis Ramirez and Barney — have combined for three homers on the season.
“The guys are still confident we can turn this around,” Barney said. “We’re not pulling that flag yet.”
With the flags blowing out, the Pirates had little trouble against Cubs starter Randy Wells.
Or anybody else Chicago put on the mound.
Making just his second start of the season and first since April 4, Wells (1-1) lasted four innings after being activated off the disabled list (right forearm strain). He gave up five hits, including Cedeno’s second homer, and five runs with three walks and seven strikeouts.
“I don’t know if it was so much rust as I was anxious to get back out there and see how things were going,” Wells said.
Overbay hit his fifth homer, leading off the sixth against reliever James Russell. And one out later, Snyder sent his second homer of the season over the wall in left to make it 7-0. McCutchen connected off reliever Scott Maine in the seventh, his ninth of the season.
McCutchen led off the fourth with a single and made third on Neil Walker’s double to left that Soriano couldn’t catch. One out later, Steve Pearce hit a two-run single and after Snyder walked, ex-Cub Cedeno drove a ball over the wall in right center.
But the story for Pittsburgh was Maholm (2-7), who got his third career shutout and improved to 8-2 in 15 career starts against the Cubs.
He retired the first 13 batters he faced before Soriano doubled in the fifth, driving a ball to the center-field wall that McCutchen leaped for but couldn’t catch. Montanez then reached on an infield single.
Barney reached on a two-out infield single in the ninth for the only other Chicago hit. Maholm retired the side in order the other seven innings, walked none and struck out four for his first win since April 25.
“After the five-run fourth inning, he went right after hitters,” Cubs manager Mike Quade said. “Run support is a wonderful thing.”
Pittsburgh had been struggling offensively with only six runs in its previous four games, but broke out on an overcast 61-degree day with their most homers in a game this season.
Cedeno’s three-run shot capped a five-run fourth that finally gave Maholm a big early lead.
The Pirates had scored only 13 runs in the left-hander’s previous 10 starts.
“Going out there, every pitch wasn’t a nail-biter,” Maholm said. “Especially with the wind blowing out, if you miss a pitch they can hit a popup for a home run.”
Maholm had pitched 6 2-3 innings of scoreless ball at Wrigley Field on April 2, leaving with a 3-0 lead, before the Cubs got five runs in the eighth and he ended up with a no-decision.
This time, Pittsburgh made sure Maholm left with a win.
“He can’t control run support — he can’t control a lot of other things.,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “But he can control how he pitches. And that’s what he’s locked down on. Regardless of run support, he has been not just efficient but his confidence has not wavered.”
NOTES: The Pirates are 16-6 in their last 22 games against the Cubs. … Pearce left the game after the top of the fourth with soreness in his right calf. He was replaced at 3B by Brandon Wood. … Walker has hit safely in all 14 of his career games against the Cubs. … Rodrigo Lopez, acquired from Atlanta in a minor-league trade Thursday, will make his first start for the Cubs on Monday against Houston. … Matt Garza, on the DL with a sore elbow, could throw on the side Sunday. … CF Marlon Byrd, recovering from facial fractures after being hit near the eye by Boston’s Alfredo Aceves last weekend, is consulting specialists this week. … Jeff Baker (groin) and Reed Johnson (back) were held out of the lineup Saturday. Baker pinch-hit in the ninth. … Ramirez has one homer all season and that came on April 6.

We hear it all the time from coaches after a win: “We played a great game, got a much-needed win but we’re still searching for that complete effort—all facets of the game.”

You wont hear that from Clint Hurdle for awhile.

The Pirates thoroughly destroyed the Cubs 10-0 Saturday afternoon, belting out 10 hits of which four left the park.  The Pirates started the scoring in the top of the fourth when Steve Pearce drilled an 87 mph fastball up the middle for a two run single. 

Two batters later, Ronny Cedeno widened the margin with a three-run shot to right field, extending the lead to 5-0. 

The Pirates tacked on two runs in the sixth off of a pair of solo shots from Lyle Overbay and Chris Snyder. 

In the seventh inning, Andrew McCutchen destroyed an outside fastball into the right field seats, extending the lead to nine. 

An RBI double by Garrett Jones in the ninth put salt in the wound, as the Pirates scored double-digit runs for the second time this season.  

The pitching, as it has been all season, was spectacular, as Pirates starter Paul Maholm tossed a three-hit shutout and lowered his ERA by .47 points. It was Maholm’s third shutout of his career. 

Battling problems with his teammates giving him little run support all season, Maholm saved his best outing for a 10-run effort by the hitters.  Heading into the game, Maholm was the second “unluckiest” starter in the majors with his offense averaging just 1.9 runs per start.  Pearce’s two-run single to start the scoring onslaught was more than enough for Maholm. 

Notes

• Andrew McCutchen’s home run was his ninth of the year, leading the team.
• Steve Pearce left the game with a calf injury after scoring on Cedeno’s three-run home run in the fourth.  Brandon Wood took his place.
• Paul Maholm was the only Pirates starter who did not record a hit.
• May 28, 2011: Pirates record 15th road win of the season.  It took until September 12, 2010 for the Pirates to record their 15th road win last season.
• Per Root Sports, Pedro Alvarez will rehab in Bradenton but will not be allowed to run after hitting the ball.
• Pirates will go for their first three-game sweep of the season tomorrow.  Karstens vs. Dempster

CHICAGO (AP)—The Pittsburgh Pirates have placed left-handed reliever Joe
Beimel(notes) on the 15-day disabled list with left elbow inflammation.

Lefty Daniel Moskos(notes) was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis to take his
roster spot Saturday.

Beimel was given Thursday off after experiencing discomfort, but his arm
felt worse against the Cubs on Friday, when he allowed Alfonso Soriano’s(notes) two-run
homer in the ninth.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said that “this was more than discomfort …
this was pain.”

Beimel was sent to Pittsburgh to be examined by team doctors.

Moskos made five appearances for the Pirates from April 30-May 15.
Pittsburgh’s No. 1 pick in 2007, he allowed two hits and an unearned run in 4
2-3 innings in his first major league stint.