Pirates 5, Astros 4
Garrett Jones belted a three-run home run as the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates downed the Houston Astros 5-4 on Thursday to finish off a three-game sweep.
Andrew McCutchen extended his hitting streak to 15 games and scored the go-ahead run as the Pirates won their fourth consecutive game. Pittsburgh lost all nine games here last season.
James McDonald (5-4) notched his second straight victory by allowing three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. Jose Veras worked the ninth for his first save of the year.
Jones hit his first home since May 2, a two-out blast in the first off rookie Jordan Lyles (0-2) to stake the Pirates to an early 3-0 lead.
Lyles, making his fourth career start, retired the next 15 batters before giving up a two-out single to McCutchen, who scored on an error prior to Josh Harrison's RBI double in the sixth.
Hunter Pence went 3-for-5 with an RBI double and Jeff Keppinger added a run-scoring single in the ninth for the Astros, who have lost three straight and 11 of 13.