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LaRoche, Pearce help Pirates avoid sweep

Aug 18, 2008 - 8:27 PM By Chris Adamski PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The Pittsburgh Pirates' offense finally woke up in time to salvage a game from their series with the New York Mets.

Adam LaRoche hit his 16th home run and Steve Pearce's single drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth as the Pirates came back to beat the Mets, 5-2, on Monday afternoon.

After scoring only six runs during the first 32 innings of the series and dropping the first three games, Pittsburgh erased a 2-0 deficit by scoring five runs in three innings against the New York bullpen.

"We're always in the game," Pearce said. "If we hang around long enough, we have the ability to get it done."

Jack Wilson added a two-run double in the eighth and had another hit for the Pirates, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Sean Burnett (1-1) pitched the final out of the top of the eighth to earn his first victory since July 25, 2004, and John Grabow worked the ninth for his fourth save.

Nick Evans had two doubles for New York, had a six-game winning streak snapped but still maintained a 1.5-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East Division.

Yet another Mets bullpen implosion wasted another strong outing by starter John Maine. Mets starting pitchers allowed only one run in 28 innings during the series; the bullpen nine runs in seven innings.

"What can you do? I made some pitches but when things are going bad, it doesn't go your way," said Duaner Sanchez, who allowed all four batters he faced to reach after giving up a home run in his most recent appearance Friday.

After LaRoche had a one-out single against Pedro Feliciano (5-2), Sanchez allowed a single to Jason Michaels and an intentional walk to Andy LaRoche before Pearce's single to left-center that scored Adam LaRoche. Wilson's double followed.

Pearce began the season with Triple-A Indianapolis and has only been getting somewhat regular playing time since the Pirates traded outfielders Xavier Nady and Jason Bay.

"I wanted to make the best of it," Pearce said. "When I get a shot, I want to go in and perform my best."

Maine was pulled after throwing 96 pitches in five innings, allowing only two hits and walking four with three strikeouts. It was the second consecutive outing of his since coming off the disabled list August 13 that he threw five shutout innings, but reliever Brian Stokes quickly ensured Maine would not earn a win when he allowed a single and homer to the first two batters he faced in the sixth.

Maine said the rotator cuff issue that had him on the disabled list is still sapping him of his velocity.

"It's not getting any worse, but it's not getting any better," he said. "It's a little sore but I just think I have to keep doing my stuff between starts.

"I didn't have anything on my fastball so you've got to throw some stuff up there. I threw some decent sliders and some good changeups. You've got to do that when you don't have your good fastball."

LaRoche's homer was a high line drive into the elevated seats in right, scoring Ryan Doumit and tying the game at 2-2.

Pirates starter Paul Maholm was sharp as well, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks in seven innings, striking out four. It was the 19th consecutive start in which Maholm lasted at least six innings.

"I felt good out there and made the pitches when I needed to," Maholm said. "The innings they scored, it's just a case of some ground balls finding some space. That's baseball."

His blemishes came in the first, when a Carlos Beltran fly ball scored Argenis Reyes, and fourth, when Wright scored on a Carlos Delgado groundout.

Jerry Manuel was tossed by first base umpire Joe West for arguing a peculiar Pirates double play in the third inning.

"We had some opportunities, but you have got to give their lefthanded pitcher credit, too," Manuel said. "He really made the pitches he had to when we had those men in scoring position.

"We had some opportunities to put a little room between us, but they made the pitches when they had to."