Pirates lose ninth straight

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Kyle Blanks hit a grand slam and drove in five runs as the San Diego Padres sent the free-falling Pittsburgh Pirates to their ninth straight loss, 13-2 on Saturday night.

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 game behind division-leading Milwaukee.

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

Last in the National League in runs and homers, San Diego has pounded Pirates pitching for 28 runs and five home runs in winning the first two games of the series. The last-place Padres have won three in a row overall.

The Padres had not hit a grand slam this season until Chase Headley did it Friday night. Blanks’ shot 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.

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.

Saddled with a major North American professional sports record 18 consecutive losing year, 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.

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.

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

Paul Maholm (6-12) gave up a season-high seven earned runs and tied a season high for hits allowed.