Jones’ single off wall caps 2-run ninth in Pirates’ 5-4 win over Reds

Jones’ single caps 2-run ninth in Pirates’ 5-4 win

PITTSBURGH — Garrett Jones singled off the wall in right-center with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth as the Pittsburgh Pirates came from behind against closer Francisco Cordero to beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on Saturday night.

Jones’ hit — which snapped an 0-for-8 stretch — on a 3-2 pitch came just after Lastings Milledge drew a bases-loaded walk off Cordero (1-1) on a 3-2 pitch with two outs to tie the game.

It was Cordero’s first blown save in five opportunities.

Milledge had two RBIs and Ronny Cedeno hit his first home run for the Pirates, who won consecutive games for the first time since starting 2-0. Jack Taschner (1-0) got the win with a perfect inning in relief.

Joey Votto had three hits and scored two runs for Cincinnati, which has lost four in a row.

After one out, pinch-hitter Ryan Church singled, and Cedeno and Aki Iwamura walked. Andrew McCutchen flied out to shallow center before Milledge’s walk and Jones’ single improved Pittsburgh to 4-1 at home this season.

The Reds’ Orlando Cabrera went 2 for 4 with two runs on a cold night at PNC Park. The gametime temperature was 43 degrees.

Cincinnati starter Johnny Cueto needed 103 pitches to get through five innings, getting charged with three runs — all earned — on five hits and four walks with four strikeouts.

Pittsburgh turned to Daniel McCutchen — recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier in the day — to start when the team placed scheduled starter Ross Ohlendorf on the disabled list due to back spasms.

Johnny Gomes hit a a sacrifice fly deep to right to drive in Cabrera in the first, but Pittsburgh scored twice in the bottom of the inning when Milledge and Delwyn Young had RBI doubles.

Cedeno led off the second by bouncing a ball off the top of the wall and into the seating in left. Cedeno bats ninth for the Pirates but has the highest average of any regular at .342.

Consecutive doubles in the Cincinnati third by Cabrera and Votto made it 3-2, and three batters later Votto scored to tie the game on a sacrifice fly by Jay Bruce.

McCutchen allowed three runs on four hits and three walks in four innings. He threw 75 pitches.

Brandon Phillips doubled in Votto, who had singled and stolen second, in the fifth against D.J. Carrasco in what appeared would account for the winning run when Daniel Ray Herrera, Logan Ondrusek, Arthur Rhodes combined for three hitless innings before Cordero came in for the ninth.

NOTES: The Pirates also won Friday night’s game on a game-ending single in the bottom of the ninth. Saturday was their third so-called “walk-off” win in five home games. … In addition to Ohlendorf, three regulars missed the game due to what their manager’s characterized as having a stiff back: Pirates 3B Andy LaRoche, Reds 3B Scott Rolen and Reds OF Drew Stubbs. … Pittsburgh was successful in its first 11 stolen base attempts this season until Andrew McCutchen was caught in the seventh.