Maholm beats Astros, ends' Pirates 5-game slide

Paul Maholm pitched eight shutout innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates snapped a 13-game road losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Sunday.

Ryan Doumit homered and Garrett Jones had an RBI single for the last-place Pirates, who had dropped five in a row overall.

Maholm (8-8), who lost four of his previous five decisions, scattered six hits and two walks. He struck out two.

Matt Capps allowed Lance Berkman's leadoff homer in the ninth before earning his 25th save when Hunter Pence grounded into a game-ending double play. Capps hadn't pitched in a save situation since Aug. 27.

After walking his first batter, Maholm faced the minimum for four innings. He retired 11 of 12 — Humberto Quintero singled in the third but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.

Miguel Tejada broke up the string by leading off the fifth with a single to left.

Felipe Paulino (2-9) lost his fifth straight decision. He went five innings and allowed one run on six hits and a walk. He struck out six.

Paulino, who hasn't won since beating Detroit on June 27, got in trouble early. Andrew McCutchen hit the first pitch of the game down the left-field line for a double. One out later, Jones' single to right gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.

Doumit added his ninth homer in the eighth.

Berkman hit his 21st home run in the ninth. He was originally stopped at second until umpires conferred and ruled that the ball hit above the yellow line in left-center.

NOTES: Geoff Blum was out of the starting lineup for the fourth straight game with a bruised left shin and mild ankle sprain. But he did pinch hit in the eighth and the Astros said he could return to the lineup Monday at Cincinnati. ... Chris Johnson, called up last Tuesday, made his third major league start in place of Blum. ... The Pirates got 5-4-3 double plays in the seventh and eighth, and a 1-6-3 DP in the ninth to give them seven in the last four games. They have 151 this season. They were tied with St. Louis for the NL lead entering the game. ... The Pirates have been scored on in the first inning in six of their last seven games and 11 of 13. ... Lastings Milledge's outfield assist in the third inning gave the Pirates a major league-leading 39 for the season. That's the most since the team had 40 in 1991.