Correia, Doumit lead Pirates over Padres

Photo by: Lenny Ignelzi

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo

Pittsburgh Pirates' Ryan Doumit launches a grand slam homer against the San Diego Padres in the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 4, 2011, in San Diego.

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO

With Kevin Correia leading the way, the Pittsburgh Pirates are playing well on the road.

Correia beat his old team and Ryan Doumit’s grand slam highlighted a six-run third inning as the Pirates beat the San Diego Padres 7-4 Wednesday to take two of three in the series.

The Pirates have won five road series already, one more than they did all of last year. They’ve got 11 road wins — last year they didn’t get their 11th until June 28.

“There was change over the winter, and I think by the time spring training came, I think they felt, ‘We’ve got a new start,’” new manager Clint Hurdle said. “Lessons needed to be learned from taking the whupping that they took last year. In life you’re going to take some whuppings. When you learn from them, they can be productive. If you’re just taking whuppings and not learning anything, that’s when it gets painful.”

The Padres, meanwhile, are a major league-worst 5-13 at home.

Correia (5-2), has won all five road starts this year, with a 1.55 ERA. He allowed two runs and five hits in six-plus innings, struck out three and walked two.

The Padres didn’t bring back Correia after he went 10-10 with a 5.40 ERA last year, when he lost his spot in the rotation in September. The year before, he was San Diego’s most consistent starter, going 12-11 with a 3.91 ERA in 33 starts.

“He’s been a lot of the reason why we’ve had some success on the road,” Hurdle said.

TUESDAY

Rob Johnson hit a solo homer in the eighth inning and Heath Bell tied Trevor Hoffman’s club record with his 41st consecutive save to lead San Diego to a 6-5 win over Pittsburgh.

Johnson’s first home run of the season came off Joe Beimel (0-1) and gave the Padres just their fifth home win in 17 games, still the majors’ worst home record.

Bell’s 41st consecutive save, and seventh in seven chances this year, tied the team record set by Hoffman, the all-time saves leader.