Correia wins 8th; pesky Pirates top Mets

Associated Press

New york

Kevin Correia became the first eight-game winner in the majors and the pesky Pittsburgh Pirates scratched out five infield singles in a five-run seventh inning to beat the New York Mets 9-3 on Wednesday night.

Andrew McCutchen made a dazzling catch in deep right-center and Correia (8-4) pitched six poised innings to help the Pirates improve to 17-14 on the road — matching last season’s win total.

Pittsburgh was a major league-worst 17-64 away from home last year, but this season has brought quite a turnaround under new manager Clint Hurdle. Pitching is the prime reason, and Correia is a big part of that.

The 30-year-old right-hander, signed to an $8 million, two-year contract in December after spending the past two seasons with San Diego, is 7-1 with a 2.42 ERA in eight starts on the road.

Pittsburgh starters have gone 13 consecutive games without allowing more than two earned runs. The Pirates said that’s the longest streak in the majors this season and the club’s longest since 1984, citing research by the Elias Sports Bureau.

Xavier Paul stroked a pair of RBI singles after entering as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. McCutchen had three hits, legging out two infield singles, after going 0 for 7 with five strikeouts in the first two games of the series.

Chris Capuano (3-6) was a hard-luck loser after carrying a three-hit shutout into the seventh.

The Pirates are 4-2 on their seven-game trip and have won six of their last eight away from home. They have won seven of 10 road series and can take another one with a victory this afternoon, when All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes is expected back in the New York lineup.

Reyes has been on the bereavement list the last three days following his grandmother’s death.

Pittsburgh won its second game in a row at Citi Field after losing its first eight.