Jones’ 2nd homer of game wins it, Pirates beat Giants 2-1 in 14 innings

Jones’ 2nd homer wins it, Pirates beat Giants 2-1

PITTSBURGH — Garrett Jones’ homer in the 14th inning, his second of the night and fifth in four games, ended Pittsburgh’s four-game losing streak and the Pirates beat the Giants 2-1 on Friday night.

The Pirates hadn’t scored since Jones’ two-out homer in the first off Tim Lincecum until the 28-year-old rookie, who has spent much of his career in Minnesota’s farm system, drove Bob Howry’s second pitch of the 14th over the right-field stands. Jones has seven homers in 12 games since being recalled from the minors.

Evan Meek (1-0) pitched the 14th for his first major league victory in 38 appearances and only the fourth victory by Pittsburgh in 15 games. Howry (0-5), who had pitched a scoreless 13th, lost it as the Giants fell to 18-25 on the road.

Lincecum, the NL All-Star starter, allowed four hits in seven innings. Lincecum, who has allowed scoring in only two of his last 37 innings, struck out 10 and walked one over seven innings, the fifth time this season he’s struck out at least 10. Lincecum, who faced the Pirates for only the second time in his career, is 8-0 with a 1.89 ERA in 12 night games this season but didn’t win for the first time in five starts.

Lincecum doesn’t get outpitched very often, but it almost happened against Paul Maholm — at least until two misplays by the Pirates allowed the Giants to tie it at 1 after they were held to Juan Uribe’s single in the second over the first six innings.

Randy Winn and Pablo Sandoval singled to start the seventh before Maholm got the next two batters. Winn stole third, a play that proved big when Maholm threw a pitch into the dirt with Uribe batting. Catcher Ryan Doumit’s throw to second was ahead of the runner, but second baseman Freddy Sanchez couldn’t hold it — drawing an error — as Winn scored.

The Pirates had a chance to retake the lead in their half of the seventh, but right fielder Winn threw out Brandon Moss at the plate as he tried to score on Jack Wilson’s two-out single. After that, only one runner for either team advanced as far as third until Jones’ homer.

Maholm limited the Giants to the unearned run and four hits over eight innings, striking out seven and walking none. The left-hander has a 2.52 ERA in eight starts at home.

NOTES: NL All-Star Matt Cain will make his scheduled start Sunday despite being struck near the right elbow during a line drive last Saturday, a mishap that kept him out of the All-Star game. … Giants LHP Randy Johnson (shoulder) isn’t making a 10-game trip that began Friday. … The start was delayed 45 minutes by rain. … Lincecum made 118 pitches, 74 for strikes, three days after throwing 35 pitches in two innings in the All-Star game. … Ten of Jones’ 15 hits are for extra bases. … Giants LHP Jeremy Affeldt pitched 1 1-3 innings, extending scoreless streak to 23 innings. … The Giants are 4-4 in extra innings, 1-4 on the road, and the Pirates are 2-3.