Padres topple Pirates

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO

Ryan Ludwick admitted to manager Bud Black a few days ago that he’s been pressing.

Black had a one-word answer: “Relax.”

Taking his manager’s advice, Ludwick hit his first two homers with San Diego, reaching 100 for his career and leading the Padres to a 4-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.

“That’s human nature, to come to a new club and want to do well,” Black said about Ludwick, acquired from St. Louis in a three-team trade on July 31.

“You just try a little too hard, no matter who you are. He’ll be fine.”

Ludwick hit a line shot to left on Jeff Karstens’ first pitch of the second, then hit a towering fly ball to straightaway center on an 0-1 pitch off Wil Ledezma leading off the seventh for a 3-1 lead. Ludwick has 13 homers this season.

Karstens (2-8) allowed two runs and three hits in six innings, struck out three and walked one.

“He threw a good game,” Pittsburgh manager John Russell said of Karstens.

“He kept us in it. He was pretty efficient. He did what we needed him to do. We just didn’t get much offense.”