Pirates 8, Padres 1
Josh Harrison delivered a pinch-hit, bases-loaded triple to cap a five-run seventh and A.J. Burnett worked seven strong innings as host Pittsburgh beat San Diego for the second straight night.
Burnett (6-8) bounced back from a pair of dismal outings to allow one run on four hits as the first-place Pirates moved two games ahead of St. Louis in the National League Central. He struck out seven and walked one to improve to 2-5 lifetime against San Diego.
Neil Walker homered and scored three times and Andrew McCutchen added a two-run triple in the game-breaking seventh inning to lift Pittsburgh to only its fourth win in 11 games. Russell Martin had an RBI double in the first and Pedro Alvarez drilled a run-scoring triple in the third as the Pirates collected three triples in a game for the third time this season.
Tyson Ross (3-6) was charged with five runs - four earned - on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. He gave way to Dale Thayer, who coughed up McCutchen's triple to right-center before Harrison supplied the dagger off Colt Hynes.
Walker hit his eighth homer in the first before Martin doubled home Alvarez for a 2-0 edge. Walker was hit by a pitch to lead off the third and raced home on Alvarez's second triple of the season, but Gyorko cut it to 3-1 in the fourth with a solo blast into the seats in left.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Pirates LF Starling Marte missed his second consecutive game with a right hand contusion. ... Padres 3B Chase Headley, who was placed on waivers Tuesday, went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts and has fanned 14 times in his last six games. ... Gyorko's fourth-inning shot was the first homer surrendered by Burnett since June 8.