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Presley shines offensively as Pirates hold off Blue Jays

Jun 29, 2011 - 6:57 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Alex Presley belted his first major league home run and added an RBI single, as the Pittsburgh Pirates held off the resilient Toronto Blue Jays to earn a 7-6 win in the opener of a three-game interleague set.

Presley, who was called up from the minors on Monday, roped a two-run blast in the third and Andrew McCutchen added a solo shot for the Pirates, who have won five of six.

Kevin Correia (10-6) allowed four runs over six innings to become the first Pittsburgh pitcher since 1993 to record 10 wins before the All-Star break.

Joel Hanrahan allowed the tying run to reach in the ninth, but settled down to record his 23rd save of the season, as the Pirates moved a half-game ahead of Cincinnati into third place in the NL Central.

Edwin Encarnacion hit two home runs for the Blue Jays and Jose Bautista, facing the Pirates for the first time since they traded him in 2008, added a two-run homer.

Jo-Jo Reyes (3-7) gave up six runs over 3 2/3 innings to suffer the loss.

With Ronny Cedeno aboard in the third, Presley lifted a 3-2 slider deep to right, registering his first major league homer and giving the Pirates and early 2-0 lead.

"I just tried to get the barrel on the ball," said Presley. "I got it in the air and it carried out."

In the home half, Encarnacion sliced into the Pirates' cushion with a one-out shot to left.

The momentum did not last long, however, as a series of Blue Jays gaffes allowed the Pirates to push four across in the fourth.

Lyle Overbay began the fourth with a single and Matt Diaz followed with a fly to right. Both Eric Thames and Corey Patterson charged hard, but the ball dropped and skipped past them, rolling all the way to the wall in right- center, as Overbay crossed the plate and Diaz walked into third with a triple. Garrett Jones then slapped a grounder towards first. Adam Lind fielded the ball, but Reyes failed to cover first, as Jones reached safely and Diaz scored.

Cedeno and Presley then sandwiched a pair of singles around a Michael McKenry strikeout to plate Jones and Neil Walker followed a Chase d'Arnaud fly out with a single over short to score Cedeno and chase Reyes from the game.

"We contributed to that inning with some sloppy defense," said Blue Jays manager John Farrell.

In the home half, Bautista answered with a two-run shot to left, his 24th of the year, but the Blue Jays still trailed 6-3.

Toronto added another in the sixth, as Thames led off with a triple and scored on Bautista's high chopper to third, which was misplayed by d'Arnaud.

McCutchen went deep in the top of the seventh, extending the Pirates' lead to 7-4, but the Blue Jays responded with a flurry in their next at bat. Tony Watson spelled Correia to begin the inning, only to allow back-to-back homers from Patterson and Encarnacion.

Watson was pulled in favor of Chris Resop, who fared no better, as the Blue Jays loaded the bases on a J.P. Arencibia walk, a Yunel Escobar double and an intentional walk to Bautista.

Again the Pirates went to the pen, calling upon Jose Veras. Lind jumped on a 2-0 fastball from Veras and ripped it down the first base line, but Overbay snagged the liner and doubled off Bautista to preserve Pittsburgh's 7-6 lead.

Veras again proved steady in the eighth, delivering a perfect half-inning to hand the game to Hanrahan.

Game Notes

Presley was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday...The Pirates placed outfielder Jose Tabata on the 15-day disabled list prior to the game...Correia became the first Pirates pitcher since Bob Walk in 1993 to record 10 wins before the All-Star break...Previously, the Pirates had dropped 13 consecutive road games during interleague play.