By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Thanks to Garrett Jones and a rare failure by
the Cardinals' Ryan Franklin, the Pittsburgh Pirates must wait
at least a day to set one of the most unwanted records in pro
sports.

Jones hit a game-ending RBI single to cap a two-run rally in the
ninth inning against one of the majors' top closers and the
Pirates ended a nine-game losing streak, beating St. Louis 6-5
Sunday.

The Pirates won after falling behind 5-4 on Rick Ankiel's
pinch-hit homer off Jesse Chavez (1-4) in the top of the ninth.
By rallying, they postponed becoming the first team in any of
the four major American pro team sports - major league baseball,
the NFL, NBA or NHL - to have 17 consecutive losing seasons.

This current mix of prospects and lower-paid players has been
responsible for only a handful of the 1,500 losses the Pirates
have absorbed since 1993, and Cardinals manager Tony La Russa
said this team is playing like it doesn't want the streak to
last much longer.

"We've been there ... They're young and they're hungry, and
they're all playing to be here next year," reliever Trever
Miller said of the Pirates, who have dealt five everyday players
since opening day.

Not that the Cardinals accepted losing for only the third time
in 14 games. Especially the way they lost, with a lead and
Franklin on the mound in the ninth.

Franklin (2-2) gave up singles to Jason Jaramillo, Andrew
McCutchen and pinch-hitter Ryan Doumit in a span of four
batters, although Jaramillo was forced at second on a failed
sacrifice.

The left-handed Miller came in to face the lefty-hitting Jones
with runners on first and second and one out, and the rookie hit
a line drive between left fielder Ankiel and center fielder
Colby Rasmus for the Pirates' first victory since beating the
Phillies 3-2 on Aug. 27.

Jones, a Pirates find who was previously stuck in Minnesota's
farm system, leads NL rookies with 18 homers but wasn't looking
to drive the ball.

"I was trying to take a nice, short swing and hit a line drive
and just get a pitch to hit," said Jones, who is hitting .308.
"It worked out, I hit it decently and it started tailing away."

Franklin had converted his previous 13 save opportunities and 37
of 39 overall.

"He's been out there a lot, I think his stuff was not quite as
sharp - he had to locate perfectly and they stayed on the ball
nice," La Russa said. "We'll be careful in the Milwaukee series
(that starts Monday) about how we use him."

The Cardinals lost for only the sixth time in 28 games since
taking control of the NL Central on Aug. 7. They still lead the
Cubs by 11 1/2 games.

"We're looking forward to playing playoff baseball," Miller
said. "We just got to get there. That was frustrating right
there, you don't ever want to have a hiccup game like that."

The game began with a misplay that epitomized all that's gone
wrong with a Pirates franchise that, for its first 100 seasons
of existence, was one of baseball's most consistent winners.

With Julio Lugo on third after his leadoff double and a
sacrifice, catcher Jaramillo's throw back to the mound following
a pitch to Albert Pujols sailed far over Paul Maholm's head for
an error that scored Lugo.

St. Louis later took a 4-1 lead on Yadier Molina's RBI single in
the fourth and run-scoring singles by Pujols and Ryan Ludwick in
the fifth. Pujols drove in five runs during a series in which he
hit a three-run homer during a 14-7 win Friday and a decisive
pinch-hit drive in the 10th inning of a 2-1 victory on Saturday.

The Pirates tied it with a three-run sixth against Joel Pineiro,
who failed to win his ninth consecutive decision. He gave up
four runs and eight hits in six innings. Brandon Moss doubled
ahead of Ronny Cedeno's two-run single and Jaramillo's
run-scoring single.

NOTES: The Cardinals had won Pineiro's last 11 starts. ... The
Pirates also avoided being mathematically eliminated in the NL
Central. ... Pujols, who had three hits, batted .463 against
Pittsburgh with five homers and 16 RBIs. St. Louis won the
season series 10-5. ... Pirates 3B Neil Walker singled in the
eighth for his first major league hit. Chavez also gained his
first victory.