Adrian Gonzalez hit two of San Diego's four home runs while driving in four runs and the Padres built an eight-run lead during a 9-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.

Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff hit three-run homers off John Van Benschoten (1-3), who gave up seven runs, four extra-base hits and walked four in 1 2-3 innings of another miserable start. As a starter, the former first-round draft pick is 0-9 the last two seasons and 1-11 in his career.

Van Benschoten, in the majors for the third time this season but likely now to return to the minors, is one of the most glaring examples of the Pirates' many recent draft failures. He has a 10.48 ERA in nine games this season and a 9.04 ERA in 19 career starts, the highest in major league history for a pitcher with that many starts.

Van Benschoten got himself into trouble by walking Edgar Gonzalez and Brian Giles ahead of Gonzalez's long drive in the first that nearly cleared the lower-level grandstand in right-center. Giles walked again and Adrian Gonzalez doubled for the second of his three extra-base hits ahead of Kouzmanoff's shot to left-center _ his 14th _ that made it 7-1 in the second.

After Franquelis Osoria replaced Van Benschoten, Nick Hundley hit his first career homer leading off the third and Gonzalez started the fourth with his 25th of the season and second of the game.

With the Pirates down by eight, manager John Russell pinch hit for starters Nate McLouth, Freddy Sanchez and Jason Bay in the fifth only to have his team score twice in that inning on Jason Michaels' pinch-hit homer and twice more in the sixth.

Josh Banks (3-4) won for the first time in seven starts since June 19 despite giving up five runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings.

Jose Bautista's solo homer with two outs in the ninth created a save situation, with Trevor Hoffman getting the final out for his second save in as many nights, his 20th of the season and the 544th of his career.

This is Hoffman's 14th season with at least 20 saves, the most in major league history according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The Pirates, with only 24 players in uniform after trading outfielder Xavier Nady and left-hander Damaso Marte to the Yankees, lost their second in a row after winning their previous four. San Diego is 17-35 on the road but has won on successive nights after dropping nine of 10.

In an unusual play, catcher Hundley drew an error when his throw to second base on Osoria's sacrifice bunt attempt in the second inning struck umpire Ted Barrett, who was lined up a few feet to the side of the bag. The error didn't prove costly as Banks retired the next two hitters, and Barrett was uninjured despite taking a tumble.

Notes:@ Padres RHP Chris Young, struck in the face by Albert Pujols' line drive May 21, threw a sideline session Saturday and remains on schedule to come off the disabled list and start Tuesday vs. Arizona. ... Pirates SS Jack Wilson's average has dropped from .299 to .270 since the All-Star break. ... San Diego had 11 of its 12 hits in the first four innings.