Pirates Defeat Diamondbacks 9-6 In Meaningless Game

Final Score: Pittsburgh 9, Arizona 6

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) – Andrew McCutchen and John Bowker each hit two-run homers to help the Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 9-6, in the second test of a three-game series at PNC Park.

Neil Walker knocked in two runs for the Pirates, who have won two in a row since a four-game skid. James McDonald (4-5) went five innings in the start, allowing two runs on four hits. He also struck out six and walked four.

Ryan Church hit a three-run homer for the Diamondbacks, who have lost 11 of their past 14 games. Kelly Johnson added a solo shot in defeat.

Barry Enright (6-5) got rocked in 3 2/3 frames, giving up six runs on six hits to suffer his third straight loss. The right-hander also walked three batters and fanned one.

Arizona failed to score after putting men on first and second over each of the first three frames.

The Pirates got on the board in the third. Chris Snyder hit a one-out single and crossed the plate on McCutchen’s homer to center.

The D’Backs got a run back in the top of the fourth. Church led off with a double and raced home on Enright’s two-out single to make it a 2-1 game.

Pittsburgh responded with a five-spot in the bottom half to take a 7-1 margin. Pedro Alvarez walked and scored when Bowker cleared the wall in center. Snyder singled and McDonald doubled to put men on second and third with two outs. Zack Kroenke came in from the bullpen and walked McCutchen and Jose Tabata to force in a run. Walker followed with a two-run bloop single to center.

Johnson’s homer in the top of the fifth made it a 7-2 game. The Pirates, though, scored twice in the home half to make it a seven-run contest. With men on second and third and nobody out, Ronny Cedeno hit a sacrifice fly. Snyder followed with an RBI single.

Church’s three-run homer to right in the seventh cut the gap to 9-5.

Evan Meek gave up an RBI single to Adam LaRoche in the ninth to account for the final score.

Game Notes

Arizona outfielder Justin Upton (left shoulder) missed the game…The Pirates were without outfielders Garrett Jones (right shoulder) and Lastings Milledge (strained left oblique)…The Pirates have recorded at least one extra-base hit in a season-high 31 consecutive games. Pittsburgh produced an extra-base hit in a season-high 32 straight games in 2009…McDonald’s consecutive scoreless innings streak was stopped at 20. It’s the longest scoreless streak by a Pirates pitcher since Zach Duke went 22.0 straight innings without giving up a run in 2002 (July 2-21)…Snyder and Bowker each had three hits.

09/18 22:41:19 ET

Barry, These Are The Pirates, Time To Get Your Mojo Back; 4:05 P.M. AZT

(Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Pirates can claim their long-awaited 50th victory of the season tonight when they host the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second of three weekend games at PNC Park.

The Pirates, who were 50 games below .500 coming into the series, picked up a triumph Friday when Ronny Cedeno drove in the winning run with a single in the bottom of the ninth for a 4-3 decision.

Esmerling Vasquez (1-6) took over on the mound in the home ninth with one out and nobody on. He walked pinch-hitter Andrew McCutchen and Ryan Doumit. Cedeno stepped to the plate and drove in McCutchen with a base hit to right.

Doumit and Neil Walker each hit solo homers for the Pirates, who had lost seven of eight. Jose Tabata added an RBI.

Brian Burres went seven innings in the start, allowing three runs -- two earned -- on seven hits. Evan Meek (5-4) recorded the final two outs in the top of ninth to pick up the win.

The 25-year-old James McDonald, a 2002 draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers, came to the Pirates earlier in the season after making four appearances with his old team.

He's started eight times with the Pirates since early August and is 3-4 with a 3.49 earned run average in 49 innings.

He's tossed 15 scoreless innings while allowing 10 hits in his two most recent starts, a home win over Atlanta and a tough-luck no-decision in the Pirates' 1-0 loss to the New York Mets.

McDonald faced the Diamondbacks five times with Los Angeles, going 1-2 with an 8.53 earned run average in 6 1/3 innings.

For Arizona, rookie righty Barry Enright makes his 15th start and tries to end a brief two-start skid.

He improved to 6-2 on the season with a seven-inning effort in a 5-2 defeat of San Diego on Sept. 1, but has since dropped verdicts to San Francisco and Cincinnati while allowing 16 hits and 11 runs in nine innings.

He is 2-1 in six road starts with a 3.38 ERA in 32 innings.

Enright has never faced the Pirates.

Arizona took two of three from the Pirates earlier in the year.