PIRATES Benson going strong before he may be gone

The starter went 81/3 innings in Pittsburgh's 6-2 win over Florida.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Suddenly, Kris Benson is looking like Jason Schmidt in 2001. Just when he is finally starting to pitch well, the Pittsburgh Pirates may trade him.
Benson, apparently winding down his Pirates career, limited Florida to two runs over 81/3 innings Friday in yet another strong start to lead Pittsburgh past the Marlins, 6-2.
Benson (7-7), being eyed by a half-dozen contenders as the July 31 deadline for trades without waivers approaches, was trying for his first complete game since he blanked the Braves on June 15, 2000. He came out after allowing three hits to the four batters he faced in the ninth, including Jeff Conine's RBI single.
Want him around
"I hope he's around a little longer," teammate Jason Bay said of Benson, who gave up eight hits, struck out four and walked one. "The way he's pitching, he would be good for any ballclub."
Benson has been a major disappointment since being the No. 1 pick in the 1996 amateur draft, going 42-48 during an injury-interrupted career.
But since getting into a groove early last month, the right-hander has allowed two or fewer earned runs in all but one of six starts.
The only other time Benson has pitched so consistently was late in 2002, when he went 5-0 over his final seven starts after returning from reconstructive elbow surgery. Last year, his first start after the All-Star break was his last one as he missed the rest of the season with a sore shoulder.
"I've finally been able to put a string together," Benson said. "My shoulder and elbow injuries are behind me and my confidence is up. I'm building on every start."
Benson hasn't yielded a homer in 60 innings over his last eight starts while pitching into at least the seventh inning in each of his last nine starts.
Just like Schmidt in 2001, Benson's contract is up when the season ends and the Pirates can't afford to give him the deal he would command on the open market. If they don't trade him, they risk seeing him depart without getting anything in return.
"He's certainly turned the corner," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "He's pitching like we always thought he could ... and he's not gone yet."
23rd save
Jose Mesa bailed out Benson by getting two outs for his 23rd save in 24 chances, stranding two runners.
Bay and Rob Mackowiak hit solo homers for the Pirates, whose eight-game home winning streak is their longest since they also won eight straight Aug. 18-Sept. 5, 1992, during their last division-winning season.
Florida, losing its eighth in 12 games, had a chance to get to Benson early when Juan Pierre singled and Luis Castillo walked to start the game. But Benson got Miguel Cabrera swinging, then picked Pierre off second base -- only his second successful pickoff in 52 attempts this season -- before getting Mike Lowell on a fly ball.
"We've got to get that one hit there, you know?" manager Jack McKeon said.
The Marlins finally scored in the sixth when Pierre tripled and came home on Castillo's sacrifice fly, their first run in 24 innings in Pittsburgh. They have dropped four straight there the last two seasons.
A.J. Burnett (1-4) was 1-1 with a 2.95 ERA in his last six starts only to struggle again on the road, where he is 0-4 with an 8.06 ERA in six starts this season and 0-5 in seven starts the last two seasons. He allowed five runs and nine hits in five innings.
13th homer
Bay started the Pirates' second with his 13th homer in only 149 at-bats, hitting a 99 mph Burnett fastball into the left-field seats. Bay also singled during a pivotal four-run fourth inning that included Jason Kendall's two-run single, Jose Castillo's double and Randall Simon's RBI single.
"My location was flat-out pitiful," Burnett said. "I had it for the first two innings, then after that I don't think I threw a fastball where I wanted the rest of the game."
Mackowiak's homer in the seventh off reliever Josias Manzanillo was only his second since he homered in each game of a May 28 doubleheader against the Cubs.