May 31, 2007 4 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Chris Young has the Pittsburgh Pirates baffled. Young dominated the Pirates again, allowing four hits over seven innings in the San Diego Padres’ 9-0 victory Wednesday night.

A former Pirates farmhand, Young walked one and struck out seven. Pittsburgh has managed seven hits in 23 2-3 career innings against Young (6-3).

“I think certain guys match up better against certain teams, and he obviously matches up well against us,” said Jason Bay, who had one of only two extra-base hits against Young. “The three times he’s thrown, obviously, we don’t have a lot of him figured out yet.”

Mike Cameron had three hits and three RBIs and Khalil Greene’s grand slam in the eighth inning gave San Diego a 7-0 lead. The Padres have won four of five and seven of nine.

“It was a good win for us,” Young said. “I felt good. For the most part, I was able to execute my pitches pretty well. I had decent fastball command and for me that’s my bread and butter. On nights when I’m able to put my fastball where I want, I’ll take my chances.”

Chris Duffy had two hits for the Pirates, who had won four of five.

In his two previous starts against Pittsburgh – both last season – Young took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. His no-hit bid June 4 at PNC Park lasted 5 1-3 innings and he allowed two hits in eight shutout innings. On Sept. 22, in San Diego, Young lost a no-hitter with one out in the ninth on Joe Randa’s two-run homer.

Still, Young downplayed his supremacy over Pittsburgh.

“You’ve got to get up for every game,” Young said. “It’s the big leagues and if you don’t have your good stuff, teams are going to make you pay. Regardless of who it is, I just try to focus on making good pitches and try to execute my game plan. Some nights it works out and other nights it doesn’t.”

Pittsburgh had 11 players on the roster who had faced Young before Wednesday, and they were a combined 3-for-49 (.061) against him. The Pirates went 4-for-24 against him Wednesday.

“We’ve not been able to do much at all with him,” Pirates manager Jim Tracy said. “There is deception to him, obviously, and there’s something that we’re not seeing.”

The best chance Pittsburgh had to score was in the sixth, when Paul Maholm singled with one out and Jose Bautista followed with a double. But Young got Chris Duffy to foul out down the third base line and Freddy Sanchez to fly out to center.

“I don’t think it’s ever easy,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “It just isn’t. It might seem that way at times but it’s not.”

The Padres took a 1-0 lead in the third after consecutive singles by Greene and Paul McAnulty off Maholm were followed by a sacrifice by Young and an RBI groundout by Marcus Giles.

“I’m pleased with how I threw,” Maholm said. “But losing, there’s no consolation in saying, ‘Hey I threw a good game but we lost.”‘

Cameron’s two-out single in the eighth scored Giles and ended Maholm’s night. Jonah Bayliss entered the game and walked two batters before Greene’s shot to straightaway center. It was the second grand slam of the shortstop’s career – the other on Sept. 17, 2005, against Washington – and second of the season for the Padres.

Cameron added a two-run double in the ninth.

“We’re not the swiftest team or the most powerful team,” Cameron said. “But we’ve got guys who can put a good swing on the baseball.”

Maholm (2-7) was charged with four runs and six hits in 7 2-3 innings with five strikeouts and two walks. The Pirates have won only three of his 11 starts this season.

“He did a great job tonight, he really did,” Tracy said. “He takes you into the eighth inning of a 2-0 ballgame that a starter is on the other side of the field that we’ve had fits with. But we were very much in the baseball game. He deserved a better fate than he got.”

Notes: Pirates OF Xavier Nady was given the night off despite hitting .391 with three home runs and 13 RBIs in his past 11 games. … The Pirates have never won a series from the Padres at PNC Park. … With one game remaining in the month, San Diego has allowed 65 runs over 26 games. That is the lowest total in the majors this month by 34.