Pirates hold on to snap losing streak

Zach Duke held the New York Mets to one run and Lastings Milledge and Jose Tabata each hit solo home runs to give the Pirates a 2-1 victory at PNC Park today.
It was Duke's first win of August (6-12 overall) and the nfl jerseys
Pirates' first win since last Monday, snapping a five-game losing streak. Joel Hanrahan earned his second save of the season.
Mets left-hander Johan Santana held the Pirates to no hits through four innings before Pedro Alvarez singled to lead off the fifth. Two batters later, Milledge homered to tie the game and Tabata gave the Pirates the lead in the sixth.
Rookie Bumgarner gets pounded for eight runs
The Giants lost Wednesday on Joey Votto's ground-ball single in the 12th inning, but that was a paint scratch compared with the fender dents the Cincinnati Reds inflicted on Madison Bumgarner.
Bumgarner, a 21-year-old rookie, got pounded for a career-high eight runs (seven earned) in 2 2/3 innings and became the first Giant since 1999 to allow three home runs in the first inning.
The last time that happened, Joe Nathan was the pitcher in a game at Arizona, and current Giants bullpen coach Mark Gardner pitched four innings of relief. Dusty Baker, now the Reds' manager, was chewing toothpicks in a Giants uniform.
Bumgarner's inexperience was most glaring on his final pitch. He had just given up a Chargers jersey
two-run triple to Drew Stubbs and threw high and wide to No. 8 hitter Paul Janish, perhaps thinking he had seen a sign for an intentional walk.
But manager Bruce Bochy said he hadn't ordered a walk, and Bumgarner's pitch sailed to the screen. Catcher Buster Posey recovered it quickly and threw to Bumgarner, who tagged Stubbs, but the ball squirted out of his glove as he tried to present it to umpire John Hirschbeck. Replays appeared to show Bumgarner had possession when he applied the tag.
"That turned out to be a big run," said Bochy, who argued the play.
With his double in the second inning, Freddy Sanchez had nine hits over a span of 10 at-bats. He grounded into a double play in his next trip.
Aubrey Huff grabbed his wrist in agony after his glove hand smacked Janish in the third inning, but Huff said it was a momentary stinger and he was fine.
Sensational prospect Brandon Belt made his debut with Triple-A Fresno after the Giants promoted Bears jersey
the hard-hitting first baseman/outfielder from Double-A Richmond.