Correia, Hairston Jr. lead Padres to 8-5 win over Pirates

Correia, Hairston Jr. lead Padres to 8-5 win

SAN DIEGO — Kevin Correia took a one-hit shutout into the seventh inning and Jerry Hairston Jr. hit a two-run home run to lead the San Diego Padres to an 8-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.

Correia faced the minimum through 6 1-3 innings before the Pirates chased him during a four-run rally in the seventh. Correia (9-7) won for the fourth time in five decisions.

San Diego’s Adrian Gonzalez went 4 for 4 with a walk, drove in two runs and scored twice. Miguel Tejada scored three runs for the Padres, who beat the Pirates for the fifth straight time this season. The West-leading Padres (66-46) have the best record in the NL while the Pirates (39-74) have the worst. San Diego remained 2½ games ahead of San Francisco, which beat Chicago.

Correia got Andrew McCutchen to fly out to left to open the seventh before allowing three straight singles to load the bases. He walked Pedro Alvarez to force in a run, prompting manager Bud Black to bring in Ernesto Frieri. Frieri allowed Ryan Doumit’s two-run double over Chris Denorfia’s head and off the center field fence. Chris Snyder’s groundout brought in another run.

Correia struck out the side in the third and sixth innings, finishing with seven punchouts and one walk.

Heath Bell pitched a perfect ninth for his 33rd save in 36th chances, and his 20th straight since May 29.

Pittsburgh starter James McDonald (1-2) was gone after allowing four runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings. He struck out six and walked one.

Pittsburgh scored an unearned run in the eighth to pull to 7-5 before the Padres scored another run in the bottom of the inning.

The Padres scored three runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. Pirates reliever Chan Ho Park allowed Hairston’s two-run homer and Gonzalez’s RBI double, both with one out in the sixth, giving the Padres a 7-0 lead. It was Hairston’s 10th, tying his career high set last year while with Cincinnati and the New York Yankees.

The Padres had six straight batters reach base with two outs in the fifth, scoring three runs to take a 4-0 lead. After Hairston and Tejada singled, Gonzalez hit an RBI single to center and Ryan Ludwick hit an RBI double to center. Chase Headley walked to load the bases and Yorvit Torrealba walked to bring in Gonzalez.

San Diego got its first run when Gonzalez, their All-Star slugger, bunted for a single leading off the fourth and took second on McDonald’s throwing error. He advanced on Ludwick’s fly out and scored on McDonald’s wild pitch, which bounced in the dirt and went over the screen into the stands.

NOTES: Black said 2B David Eckstein is doing better but there’s no timetable for his return from a strained right calf that’s had him on the DL since July 21. … Jerry Moss, owner of the undefeated mare Zenyatta, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Zenyatta improved to 18-0 on Saturday with a neck victory in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at nearby Del Mar.