The Pirates beat San Diego, 5-4, to sweep their three-game series at TRS and extend their winning streak to six. Omar Moreno drove in two runs and Enrique Romo had a strong outing in relief.
The game didn’t get off to a great start. Bruce Kison gave up a two-run home run to Gene Tenace in the first. The Pirates got one back in the bottom half. Tim Foli doubled with one out and Dave Parker walked. Willie Stargell bounced back to pitcher Gaylord Perry. He threw to second for a force, but shortstop Ozzie Smith threw away the relay, letting Foli score.
The Pirates took the lead in the fourth. An Ed Ott single with two on brought in one run. After the throw home let the runners move up to second and third, the Padres walked Phil Garner. Kison popped up for the second out, but Moreno came through with an opposite-field single, driving in two to put the Pirates up, 4-2. They made it 5-2 in the fifth when Parker singled, stole second and scored on a single by John Milner.
Kison settled in after the first, although he didn’t have any 1-2-3 innings. San Diego got a third run off him in the sixth on a two-out, RBI double by Gene Richards. That brought on Romo, who got the last out of the inning.
Romo finished it out after that. He gave up a run in the seventh on a hit batsman and a two-out triple by Jay Johnstone. That made it a one-run game, 5-4. The Padres got a leadoff double in the eighth, but the runner stayed on second. Romo had a perfect ninth. Kison got the win to go 8-6. Romo’s three and a third innings got him his fourth save. The Expos were off, so the Pirates stretched their NL East lead to a season-high four games.
Tomorrow, the Dodgers come to TRS for three games. Charlie Hough (3-4, 5.04 ERA), Jerry Reuss (3-10, 4.67) and Burt Hooton (11-8, 2.94) will square off against Jim Bibby (9-2, 2.45), Don Robinson (6-5, 4.00) and John Candelaria (11-8, 3.62).
