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Walker, Pirates turn the lights out on Mets

Jun 1, 2011 - 4:10 AM Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - Neil Walker hit the tie-breaking two-run single in the eighth inning and Pittsburgh overcame a career-high 10 strikeouts from R.A. Dickey and beat the New York Mets, 5-1, for their first victory at Citi Field.

Brandon Wood added a two-run base hit in the ninth for the Pirates, who were 0-8 in their first two-plus seasons of play at the Mets' new stadium. Josh Harrison had two hits and an RBI in his major league debut.

James McDonald allowed six hits and a run while fanning five batters over six innings in the start for the visitors. Evan Meek (1-1) threw the seventh to get the win.

Dickey (2-6) gave up five hits and three runs over 7 2/3 frames and fell to 0-5 in six home starts this season.

Jason Bay drove in the lone run for the Mets, who continued their power struggle with their seventh loss in 10 games to end the month of May. They have gone 10 consecutive games without a home run, the longest stretch for the team since 1980. Daniel Murphy hit the Mets' last home run on May 20 at Yankee Stadium.

Dickey left his last start in the third inning against the Cubs due to right heel pain after he fell running to cover first base, but the right-hander didn't show any effect of the problem on Tuesday.

The Pirates, who lost Monday in the opener of this four-games series, had just three balls leave the infield over the first seven innings Tuesday. One came via Jose Tabata's double to right to start the game, another on Harrison's single to left in the third, and the other a Walker fly out to begin the seventh.

"I definitely felt good with it," Dickey said of his knuckler. "I think definitely the warm weather helps. I continued to tell myself to stay the course, be consistent with that."

It fell apart for the Mets and Dickey the next inning. Ronny Cedeno singled to left to lead off. Dickey retired the next two batters, but then hit Tabata with a pitch. Harrison lined an RBI single to right and advanced to second on the throw. Andrew McCutchen walked, leading to Walker's base hit up the middle that gave Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead.

"It's not like anything I've ever faced before," Harrison said of the knuckleball. "The first at-bat I'd say I saw maybe five of them and I had a pretty good idea of how to see it. Later in the game it showed up big in the eighth inning I was able to put a good swing on it."

The Pirates tacked on the insurance in the ninth, and the door was opened thanks to an error on shortstop Ruben Tejada. With Bobby Parnell on the mound, Cedeno grounded a ball to Tejada, but his high throw to first pulled Nick Evans off the bag. Dusty Brown singled to right. Pinch-hitter Xavier Paul fanned, but Brown stole second and Tabata drew a walk. Wood then blooped a hit to left-center field to open a four-run cushion.

Angel Pagan doubled to right leading off the second inning, went to third on Justin Turner's fly ball and scored on Bay's two-out infield hit. McDonald raced off the mound to field Bay's slow roller toward third, wheeled and fired to first, but the ball arrived at the mitt of first baseman Lyle Overbay as Bay touched the base.

Game Notes

Pittsburgh's starting pitchers have gone 12 straight games without giving up more than two earned runs...Pagan and Murphy each had two hits...Turner had his streak of six straight games with an RBI snapped...Before Tuesday, Pittsburgh's last road win in this series was a 7-5 triumph on August 11, 2008 at Shea Stadium.