Pirates 11, Padres 5
SAN DIEGO -- Jung Ho Kang, Gregory Polanco and Starling Marte homered while Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker and Francisco Cervelli had three hits apiece Thursday night as Pittsburgh powered past the San Diego Padres 11-5 at Petco Park to stretch the Pirates' winning streak to seven games.
The Pirates had 15 hits.
Right-handed starter A.J. Burnett improved his record to 5-1, although he allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings to see the National League-leading, 1.37 ERA he owned entering the game climb to 1.81.
Kang, Polanco and Marte all connected in the first three innings to give the Pirates a 6-0 lead against Padres right-handed starter Ian Kennedy (2-5), who allowed seven runs on seven hits -- including the three homers -- and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Kang drove in the Pirates first three runs. McCutchen and Marte each had two RBIs.
In seven starts since coming off the disabled list April 25 due to a left hamstring strain, Kennedy allowed 31 runs on 44 hits in 36 2/3 innings -- an ERA of 7.61.
The home runs he allowed Thursday night pushed his season total to 12 home runs allowed in 39 innings -- of 2.8 per nine innings. Thursday night was the second time he allowed three in 4 1/3 innings or less.
Kang gave the Pirates a 3-0 lead in the first with his 430-foot launch into the second deck in left. Walker singled with one out and moved to second when Kennedy hit left fielder Marte on the left elbow with a pitch.
Shortstop Kang crushed the first pitch he saw from Kennedy for his third homer.
Right fielder Polanco led off the second with his second homer, a 414-foot drive to center on a full-count pitch, to boost the Pirates' lead to 4-0. Marte followed a lead-off single by McCutchen in the third with a 377-foot drive to left on the first pitch from Kennedy to make it 6-0.
The Pirates built the lead to 7-0 in the fourth on a single by Cervelli and a two-out, RBI double by McCutchen.
The Padres took advantage of three fielding lapses by the Pirates to score two runs in both the fourth and fifth off Burnett.
Left fielder Justin Upton started the first rally with a single and a steal -- becoming the first player in the major leagues this season with 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases. He capped the second rally with an RBI single that put two on and no one out.
But Burnett struck out left fielder Matt Kemp and catcher Derek Norris before getting second baseman Cory Spangenberg on a fly to center to prevent further damage.
The Pirates then tacked on four more runs in the top of the sixth against right-handed reliever Cory Mazzoni on run-scoring doubles by third baseman Josh Harrison and McCutchen and a two-run throwing error by Padres shortstop Alexi Amarista to make it 11-4.
NOTES: Padres RHP Brandon Morrow threw a three-inning simulated game Thursday, and he is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday. Morrow has been on the disabled list since May 3 with shoulder inflammation ... Padres 1B Yonder Alonso went 1-for-3 with a walk Wednesday night in his first rehab game with high Class A Lake Elsinore. The Padres expect Alonso, out since May 8 with a bone bruise of the right scapula, to return to the lineup by Monday ... RHP Nick Kingham, one of the top pitching prospects in the Pirates' organization, underwent Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery Wednesday. ... Pirates RHP A.J. Burnett, who started Thursday night against the Padres, threw a no-hitter in San Diego on May 12, 2001, at Qualcomm Stadium. Burnett walked nine and hit a batter in that game, when he was pitching for the Florida Marlins.