Adam LaRoche's RBI single capped a three-run rally in the seventh inning and pushed the Pirates past San Francisco for a 5-4 victory this afternoon before 16,186 at PNC Park, as well as a three-game sweep of the Giants.

Freddy Sanchez and Jason Bay each had three hits.

Closer Matt Capps recorded his eighth save, second in less than 24 hours, with a scoreless ninth inning. He struck out John Bowker with the potential tying run at second to end it.

The Pirates took a 2-0 lead in the third, though it was slow to materialize: Paul Maholm walked, and it took three singles to get him home. The last of those, Ryan Doumit's liner to left, brought both runs.

But they gave that back and more in San Francisco's next at-bat, through poor command by Maholm and poorer defense.

Maholm fell behind his first three hitters and, despite retiring two of them, went on to give up four consecutive hits. A high comebacker by Emmanuel Burriss, skipped off Maholm's glove for the first RBI. The ensuing double by Steve Holm might have been an out had Nate McLouth not broken incorrectly. Mound counterpart Matt Cain's single up the middle brought the fourth run and resulted in another misplay: McLouth's throw to the infield was not cut off -- third baseman Jose Bautista was late getting into proper position -- and Cain took second.

It was 4-2, Giants.

Maholm long has struggled with his defense, but McLouth had been exceptional all season.

Maholm was done after six innings, charged with four runs on six hits and two walks.

Cain pitched into the seventh, but it might have been an inning too long.

Pinch-hitter Nyjer Morgan led off with a bunt single, perhaps getting a generous call from first base umpire Ron Kulpa. Sanchez's ground-rule double to left put men at second and third. McLouth's sacrifice fly brought one run, and Bay's double to the left-field corner tied it at 4-4.

That chased Cain, but the Pirates were not done.

After a second out, Xavier Nady was intentionally walked to put men at first and second, and Jack Taschner's wild pitch gave each an extra base. LaRoche's liner narrowly eluded the reach of second baseman Eugenio Velez, and the Pirates had the 5-4 lead.

John Grabow put two aboard in the eighth, but Tyler Yates and Bautista bailed him out, with Bautista making a fine stop on pinch-hitter Bengie Molina's bouncer down the line to end the inning.