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Pirates close out set with Mets

Jun 2, 2011 - 2:43 PM (Sports Network) - In the only afternoon game on today's docket, the Pittsburgh Pirates will shoot for their fourth series win in the last five when they close out a four-game set against the New York Mets at Citi Field.

Pittsburgh has taken the last two tests with New York after losing Monday's series opener and is coming off Wednesday's 9-3 pounding behind starter Kevin Correia, who became the majors' first eight-game winner with six innings of two-run ball and four strikeouts.

"In all my starts we've done well," said Correia, who posted his seventh win on the road. "I've never felt that urgency to throw a shutout every time. I knew we were hitting the ball hard and I knew if I could hang in there long enough we would get the win."

Lyle Overbay and Xavier Paul both had two hits and an RBI, while Andrew McCutchen recorded three hits and a run scored for the Pirates, who have won two straight and four of six games since a three-game slide. The Bucs won a season-best four in a row before losing three straight.

After today's game the Pirates will return to the Steel City for a 10-game homestand versus the Phillies, Diamondbacks and Mets. They have won six of their last eight road games and have gone 17-14 as the guest this season. Pittsburgh was 17-64 on the road a year ago and learned that catcher Ryan Doumit will miss at least a month with a non-displaced fracture in his left ankle. He was placed on the disabled list Monday.

Pittsburgh's starting pitchers have gone 13 games in a row without allowing more than two earned runs, posting a 7-3 mark and a 1.67 ERA over that stretch. Paul Maholm will try to add to that solid showing when he gets the nod Thursday in the finale of a seven-game road trip (4-2).

Maholm ended a five-start (0-4) winless drought his last time out in a 10-0 drubbing of the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Saturday, tossing his first shutout of the season and third in his career. He scattered three hits, struck out four batters and did not allow a walk to improve to 2-7 in 11 starts with a solid 3.18 ERA.

The lefty, who is just 1-3 in five road starts this season, is 3-3 with a 4.60 ERA in eight career starts against the Mets.

New York has lost eight of its last 11 games and fell to 2-4 on a 10-game homestand following Wednesday's 9-3 loss. Justin Turner homered and both Carlos Beltran and Daniel Murphy provided two hits apiece for the Mets, who received another rough outing from starter Chris Capuano.

Capuano was tagged for five runs and eight hits in six innings to fall to 3-6 on the season. Pedro Beato gave up three in the seventh inning.

"I'm running out of ideas, here. Do we play hard? Absolutely. That's not the issue," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "It's about execution."

The Mets are 11-8 in their last 19 home games and 12-16 as the host overall. They ended a 10-game drought without a home run on Turner's blast, ending the club's longest stretch without a homer since going 17 games in 1980. Beltran is still 10 RBI shy of 1,100 in his career.

New York will also host Atlanta for three games over the weekend and is expected to have shortstop Jose Reyes back in the lineup after he went on the bereavement list following the death of his grandmother in the Dominican Republic. Reyes leads the Mets with a .335 average.

Mike Pelfrey will take the mound for the Mets tonight and is 0-1 with a 3.48 ERA in his last three starts -- all New York losses. Pelfrey pitched well for a no-decision in Saturday's 5-2 loss versus Philadelphia and limited the rival Phillies to a pair of runs in 7 2/3 innings with six K's on a season-high 116 pitches. Pelfrey is 3-4 with an even 5.00 ERA in 11 starts this season and has enjoyed success against the Pirates, going 3-1 in four career starts.

The right-hander is also 2-0 in five starts at Citi Field this season.

New York won six of seven meetings with the Pirates a year ago, with Pelfrey on the winning end of two of those contests.