PITTSBURGH - Pirates outfielder Matt Lawton has knocked a couple of pitches into the Allegheny River already this season.

With just a 5-foot-10, 190-pound frame, such power may come as a surprise to most, but not to manager Lloyd McClendon.

"Not at all," McClendon said Sunday, after watching Lawton bounce a 438-foot home run into the river during the Pirates' 5-2 win over Atlanta. "Matt Lawton is a very strong man. When he turns on a pitch and connects, the ball's gonna go."

Lawton bounced another home run into the river May 20 against Colorado. He is only the second player in baseball to reach the river at PNC Park at least twice. Former Pirate Matt Stairs has done it three times.

Since PNC Park opened in 2001, 11 players have hit a total of 14 home runs into the river. Lawton, Stairs and Rob Mackowiak are the only Pirates to do so.

No one has put a home run into the river on a fly.

"I won't be the one to do that," Lawton said. "That's too far. That's out of my range."

He'll gladly settle for the three hits he got Sunday, especially since Lawton hit only .217 in May and was hitting a paltry .200 (17 for 85) in his most recent 22 games played before Sunday.

"Matt's been down on himself the past week or so," McClendon said. "I told him to just continue with the approach he's had and things will pick up for him.

"Everybody goes through rough stretches. Mat Lawton is too good a hitter for it to last real long."

Actually, all it took was a visit from his father to send Lawton in the right direction again.

The month of June doesn't hurt, either. Lawton has a career batting average of .304 this month.

"My Dad and I had a long talk and he saw one thing I was doing wrong," Lawton said. "I can't say what that is, but it was simply a mechanical thing.

"He's here for two days and I get five hits. I hope he sticks around for a while."

Lawton doesn't mind the Pirates' stretch of interleague games arriving this week as well.

Prior to this season, all but 48 games of Lawton's big league career have been in the American League. He played six full seasons with Minnesota and three with Cleveland.

Beginning last night, the Pirates face four American League clubs - Baltimore, Tampa Bay, New York and Boston - in a row.

"I'm finally going to face some pitchers I recognize," Lawton said. "I need to take advantage of that."

Since hitting .298 in April, Lawton saw his average dip to .257 before collecting his three hits Sunday.

"You beat yourself up when you're not hitting well," Lawton said. "I've never been lacking in confidence that way. I know I can hit."

Hitting a couple of balls into the Allegheny River serves as pretty good therapy.

"I'm hoping to put a few more in there before this season's over," Lawton said.

Notes: The Pirates were 2-10 against American League clubs last year. … The Pirates boast a league-best .461 slugging percentage since May 3. … Mackowiak had 22 RBI and 16 runs scored in his last 27 games, entering the Baltimore series.