Keith Srakocic, Associated Press Adam LaRoche pats Jack Wilson on the head after Wilson scored what turned out to be the winning run for the Pirates in the eighth inning yesterday at PNC Park. Click photo for larger image. Tomorrow Game: Pirates (LHP Tom Gorzelanny 6-4, 3.04) vs. Mariners (RHP Miguel Batista 7-5, 5.10), 10:05 p.m. Safeco Field, Seattle. TV, radio: FSN Pittsburgh, WPGB-FM (104.7). Related article Pirates Notebook: Snell won't be cooking in Seattle

Even though things got a little chippy for the Pirates at the end yesterday, the way they went about writing off the Chicago White Sox, 8-7, was a script they would love to author at just about every session.

Starter Zach Duke gave them six innings, setup reliever Shawn Chacon got five outs, left-handed specialist Damaso Marte retired his batter and closer Matt Capps recorded three outs in the ninth.

With some doing.

The Pirates led, 8-5, entering the ninth, but Capps found immediate trouble when Josh Fields lined a leadoff single to left.

Juan Uribe flied to center, and Capps and the Pirates seemed home free when pinch-hitter Alex Cintron grounded what looked to be a double-play ball to second baseman Jose Castillo's backhand.

However, Castillo, who has been outstanding defensively recently, allowed the ball to get past him.

"Jose felt terrible," Capps said. "You want to pick him up."

Moments later, the Pirates did.

Pinch-hitter A.J. Pierzynski lined a run-scoring single to center that placed runners on first and third. Then Jim Thome, another pinch-hitter, lifted a sinker away into the air toward left field.

"Off the bat, I'm thinking it's routine," Capps said, "and that we maybe have a play at the plate."

Except the ball kept carrying. And carrying. And carrying.

And left fielder Jason Bay kept going back. And going back. And going back.

"It went farther than I thought," Bay said.

Almost too far for the Pirates.

At the wall, Bay reached and grabbed the drive that would have been a home run.

"That was the game-winner there," said bench coach Jim Lett, acting as manager in Jim Tracy's stead.

Yes, Cintron scored, but major damage had been prevented.

"He made a very tough play look easy," Capps said.

"Our defense was outstanding all day," Duke said, "and that was the topping gem."

There was the matter of getting the third out, and Capps quickly took care of that by setting down Tadahito Iguchi on a fly to right on a 1-2 pitch.

Thus, the Pirates finished a 4-2 home stand in which they won two of three games from Texas and the wobbling White Sox, who have lost 17 of their past 21 games.

"That's the goal -- win series," Lett said. "Of course, you want to win every game, but if you can't, win series."

Duke's numbers weren't impressive in this one -- eight hits and five runs allowed in six innings.

And opponents are still hitting .351 against him -- the third-highest average in the major leagues behind Detroit's Magglio Ordonez (.367 before yesterday) and Colorado's Matt Holliday (.360).

However, Duke started out well yesterday, had a patch of trouble in the fourth when the White Sox scored five runs and then got back in sync in the fifth and sixth innings.

"I got a little bit ahead of myself in the fourth inning -- being too quick," Duke said. "I was getting into a good count and then not making the putaway pitch. The balls were too much down the middle."

Plus the White Sox in their second time through the lineup against Duke made adjustments and began hitting pitches the other way.

"Almost the whole lineup," catcher Ronny Paulino said. "They all took the same approach. Zach threw the pitch he wanted them to hit. So we had to make a switch after that and go with [cut fastballs] in and then finish them away."

"We had to make them respect the inside pitch again," Duke said.

That five-run Chicago burst put the Pirates behind, 5-3, and Lett faced a bit of a decision in the bottom of the inning.

With runners on first and third and no outs, he could have pinch-hit for Duke. And he might have had he not been managing with a short bench -- ailing Chris Duffy and Freddy Sanchez were only available for minimal duty.

As it was, Duke batted and contributed a sacrifice bunt that led to Nate McLouth's two-out, two-run double that tied the score, 5-5.

That was McLouth's second two-out, two-run double of the afternoon. He had his first in the second inning.

"Two-out hits, regardless of who gets them, are something huge," McLouth said.

With the tie, Duke then went out and pitched perfect fifth and sixth innings.

"I'm happy that I was able to get back in a rhythm," Duke said.

The Pirates broke the tie in the seventh.

With one out, McLouth walked. Bay forced him at second, but Adam LaRoche doubled, putting runners on second and third. Xavier Nady lined a two-run single into right-center field off right-hander Mike MacDougal.

Chacon, who'd pitched the top of the seventh, got the first two outs in the eighth around a single by Iguchi and a walk to Paul Konerko. With Rob Mackowiak pinch-hitting, Lett brought in Marte.

Since 2004, Marte has held left-handed batters to a .198 batting average, the lowest among all left-handed relievers in the big leagues. Again, Marte did his job, retiring Mackowiak on a pop fly to center.

The Pirates scored their seventh two-out run in bottom of the eighth.

Jack Wilson, who had two hits and three runs scored, lined a one-out single into center field. Wilson took second on Rajai Davis' tap to the right side.

Jose Bautista, who hit a leadoff home run in the first, whacked a double inside first base to drive in Wilson.