Maholm helps Pirates beat Astros 6-4

HOUSTON — Paul Maholm pitched seven innings and drove in a run with an infield single, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-4 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.

Jack Wilson doubled twice and drove in a run and Andrew McCutchen delivered a big two-run single for the Pirates, who snapped a five-game losing streak at Minute Maid Park. Adam LaRoche and Andy LaRoche each had two hits.

Maholm (4-2) allowed four runs and eight hits to pick up his first win since April 22 against Florida. He was 0-2 with five no-decisions in his previous seven starts.

John Grabow worked the eighth and Matt Capps finished for his 13th save in 15 tries.

Maholm went seven innings and allowed only one earned run in losing to the Astros just a week ago in Pittsburgh.

Roy Oswalt (2-3) gave up six runs and nine hits in six innings for the Astros, falling to 13-7 with a 2.62 ERA in 26 career games, 25 starts, against the Pirates.

Oswalt had won seven of his last eight decisions against Pittsburgh. The six runs tied for the most the right-hander has allowed versus the Pirates, set July 16, 2002.

Hunter Pence hit a two-run homer in the first for the Astros but Pittsburgh responded with three in the second. Maholm hit a slow bouncer to second with the bases loaded to drive in Andy LaRoche and McCutchen followed with a single to right to make it 3-2.

The Pirates added three more in the third. Brandon Moss and Wilson had RBI doubles, and Jason Jaramillo drove in a run with a groundout.

Pence tripled and scored on Carlos Lee’s groundout in the bottom half, and Lee added an RBI single in the fifth.