PITTSBURGH (AP) – Brian Lawrence beat his brother-in-law and kept the San Diego Padres in first place.

With the Padres roughing up Pirates left-hander Mark Redman – Lawrence’s brother-in-law – for seven runs in 2 1-3 innings, San Diego won its first series in nearly a month by beating the Pirates 12-7 Thursday.

In a matchup of slumping pitchers who began the game with identical records and close family ties, Lawrence lasted into the seventh inning to end his six-game losing streak and give the Padres only their third victory in 16 games. They won twice in three games at PNC Park, their first series victory since taking two of three from the Rockies from July 8-10.

The Padres found their offense in Pittsburgh after slumping for more than a month, scoring 31 runs in the series and at least eight runs in every game – including an 11-3 rout Tuesday night. Khalil Greene and Miguel Olivo each homered for the second consecutive game, giving the Padres five homers in two games after they went nine games and 320 at-bats without homering.

Greene’s three-run shot, his ninth, came in a four-run second inning that started when shortstop Jack Wilson threw wildly on Brian Giles’ grounder for an error, and Mark Loretta and Xavier Nady singled.

Loretta also had a two-run double as San Diego chased Redman (5-12) in a three-run third. Manager Lloyd McClendon yanked the left-hander after he hit Olivo with a pitch to load the bases. Redman left after allowing 10 of his final 14 batters to reach base, including the final six.

Redman’s latest poor start – he has lost eight of nine – might have illustrated why the Pirates were unable to move him at the trade deadline. He has allowed 17 hits and 14 runs, 13 earned, in 7 1-3 innings in his last two starts.

Lawrence (6-11), who is married to Redman’s younger sister, Maripat, was more effective as he won for the first time since beating the Dodgers 8-3 on June 28. The right-hander permitted only an unearned run over the first six innings, when center fielder Dave Roberts dropped Wilson’s routine fly ball in the second, before leaving in a two-run Pirates seventh.

Olivo, acquired from the Mariners last week, hit a solo homer in the eighth. He has two homers with the Padres and seven this season.

Rob Mackowiak hit his first homer since June 29, a three-run drive in the Pirates’ four-run ninth off Adam Eaton, a Padres starter making his second relief appearance since coming off the disabled list Sunday. Eaton (injured right hand) had been out since mid-June.

Notes: The Padres had lost four series and split another since last winning a series. … San Diego lost 10 of Lawrence’s previous 12 starts. … Padres 3B Joe Randa was a late scratch after fouling a ball off his foot during batting practice. Damian Jackson, who replaced Randa, was ejected for throwing equipment during the Padres’ four-run ninth. … The Pirates have lost seven of nine and dropped 33 of 49 since reaching .500 at 30-30 on June 11. … San Diego is 23-32 on the road. … The Padres won the season series 4-3. … The Padres outscored the Pirates 31-15 in the series after the Reds outscored them 24-5 during a three-game sweep in San Diego last week. The Reds hit eight homers to San Diego’s none in that series.

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