Gaston falls to 0-2 as Blue Jays lose 7th straight

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay, center rear, walks off the field after being hit by a seventh-inning line drive up-the-middle by Pittsburgh Pirates' Nyjer Morgan (not shown) in a baseball game at Pittsburgh, Friday, June 20, 2008. At left is Blue Jays shortstop John McDonald and catcher Rod Barajas, center foreground, and trainer George Poulis, right. Halladay did not return to the game. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH—Jason Bay, Raul Chavez and Jose Bautista each hit two-run homers, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates extend the Toronto Blue Jays' season-high losing streak to seven games with a 6-3 win Saturday night.

Rod Barajas had two hits and two RBIs and Vernon Wells had two hits and scored two runs for the Blue Jays, who lost for the second consecutive night in Pittsburgh under new manager Cito Gaston.

Bautista had three hits and Matt Capps pitched a perfect ninth for his 17th save.

Paul Maholm (5-5) gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks in seven innings to win his third straight decision in six starts since May 20.

A night after needing 12 innings to score their first run in a 1-0 victory, the Pirates jumped on Blue Jays starter Jesse Litsch with a two-run homer to left in each of the first two innings.

Bay's shot in the first tied him for the team lead with Nate McLouth at 15. In the next inning Chavez hit his first since July 7, 2005 while with the Houston Astros.

Bautista's homer in the fourth was his eighth of the season but first at PNC Park, and made it 6-1 Pittsburgh.

Litsch (7-4) only allowed six baserunners during his six innings of work -- but they all scored. He gave up five hits and a walk to lose his third consecutive decision.

Barajas' double scored Wells and Scott Rolen in the sixth. But Barajas was thrown out at the plate on a throw from McLouth after next batter David Eckstein had singled to center.

The Blue Jays' first run of the series came in the fourth when Barajas hit a ground ball down the first-base line for a single that first baseman Adam LaRoche fielded well past the bag. LaRoche's throw was low and to the left of a covering Maholm, allowing Vernon Wells to score from second.