Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Ronny Cedeno drove in the winning run with a single in the bottom of the ninth, as the Pittsburgh Pirates snuck past the Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-3, in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park.
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.
Gerardo Parra knocked in two runs for the Diamondbacks, who have dropped six of eight. Stephen Drew drove in a run.
Starter Ian Kennedy gave up two runs -- one earned -- on five hits over six innings.
Walker's homer in the first inning gave the Pirates an early lead.
Arizona plated a pair of runs in the third to go in front. Rusty Ryal reached first on third baseman Pedro Alvarez's fielding error and raced home on Parra's double to right-center field. Parra moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Drew's base hit to right for a 2-1 lead.
Pittsburgh scored a run in the fifth to tie the game. Cedeno singled, moved to second on a passed ball, and crossed the plate on Tabata's two-out double to right to make it 2-2.
The Diamondbacks scored a run in the top of the seventh to take the lead. Miguel Montero hit a one-out double and advanced to third on Ryal's groundout. Parra stepped to the plate and hit a bloop single down the left-field line to plate Montero.
Doumit's homer off Blaine Boyer in the home half deadlocked the contest at 3-3.
The Pirates stranded a runner on second in the eighth.
Arizona put together a scoring chance in the ninth. Joel Hanrahan, who pitched a scoreless eighth, stayed on to pitch the ninth. Adam LaRoche walked and was replaced by Justin Upton, who stole second. After Tony Abreu struck out, Montero walked. Meek came in from the bullpen and retired the first two batters he faced to keep it a tie game.
Arizona took two of three from the Pirates earlier in the year...Pittsburgh started a nine-game homestand on Friday...The Pirates have recorded at least one extra-base hit in a season-high 30 consecutive games...Arizona went 3- for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded five.