BRADENTON, Fla. — Craig Monroe homered three times against his former team Thursday, powering the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Monroe hit solo shots in the second and third innings off Scott Baker. In the sixth, he hit a two-run homer off reliever Kevin Mulvey.

Monroe leads the Pirates with six home runs. He's gone deep in three straight games.

Monroe was cut by the Twins in August after batting 202 in 58 games. This offseason, he signed a minor-league contract with the Pirates and is trying to win a bench job during spring training.

By The Associated Press