Michael Young doubled into the gap in left-center with one out in the seventh inning to break up Lester’s bid for a perfect game. The sold-out crowd let out a loud groan as the ball rolled to the wall before giving Lester a standing ovation. Young also singled in the ninth.
Ortiz, mired in a season-long slump, connected for the second time this season and first since May 20. Mike Lowell also homered - after having his double overturned by video review.
Lester (5-5), the club’s most reliable postseason pitcher last year when he threw a no-hitter on May 19 against Kansas City, got off to a slow start this year, giving up 11 runs in his first two starts.
But on Saturday, he showed how dominating he can be, striking out 11 and walking just two. It was his third career complete game.
Texas scored on Andruw Jones’ sacrifice fly in the ninth.
Maholm outpitches Oswalt as Pirates trump last-place Astros
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 and an RBI.
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 earned-run average 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.
