Sep 17, 2006 3 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Pirates again prevented the New York Mets from clinching the NL East when Ronny Paulino hit an RBI double with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 3-2 victory Saturday night. The Mets’ magic number for clinching their first division title since 1988 remained at one. New York could’ve won it Friday night, too, but lost to Pittsburgh 5-3.

Second-place Philadelphia earlier staved off elimination for the second straight day, beating Houston 7-2.

After Paul Lo Duca flied out with a runner on second to end the Mets ninth, the Pirates won it.

Pinch-hitter Joe Randa drew a two-out walk from Aaron Heilman (4-5). Paulino followed with a drive to the deepest part of PNC Park in left-center field and Randa scored without a play.

Matt Capps (8-1) earned the win after relieving in the ninth.

Jason Bay hit his 34th home run for the Pirates, who have won four of five.

Carlos Delgado had two hits and two RBIs for the Mets.

Delgado doubled home Carlos Beltran in the first for a 1-0 lead. During the inning, Bay slid into the padding next to the left-field line chasing a foul ball and stayed on the ground for a moment.

Bay led off the second with a home run against Orlando Hernandez. Bay singled in the fourth, stole second and scored on Ryan Doumit’s single for a 2-1 lead.

The Mets tied it off Shane Youman in the fifth when Delgado singled home Lo Duca, who had two hits.

Pittsburgh put the leadoff man on base in the sixth and seventh innings, but could not advance him. Beltran made a catch in center field and doubled Freddy Sanchez off first, then pinch-runner Rajai Davis was caught stealing on a pitchout by Hernandez to Lo Duca.

Sanchez went 1-for-4 and is now hitting .340 – one point behind Florida’s Miguel Cabrera in the NL batting race.

Pittsburgh’s Tom Gorzelanny made his first start since Aug. 15 and went four innings, allowing one run on four hits and two walks. He had been on the disabled list with tendinitis in his left elbow, and the Pirates were careful to monitor his pitch count. The left-hander threw 71 pitches and left the game with the Pirates ahead 2-1.

Hernandez threw seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits and a walk, striking out seven. He has allowed three earned runs in 21 innings against Pittsburgh this season.

NOTES: Pittsburgh OF Chris Duffy has a career-high 10-game hitting streak and stole his 20th base. … Youman had his first major league hit, a single, to lead off the fifth. … The last team to clinch a division in Pittsburgh was the St. Louis Cardinals in 1996.