Giants' Kent Cycling In Loss

These dramatic comebacks are becoming commonplace in Pittsburgh Jaromir Jagr and the Penguins one day; Brian Giles, Brant Brown and the Pirates the next.

Giles' second homer of the game tied it and Brown completed the Pirates' four-run ninth inning rally with a game-winning single against Robb Nen as the Pirates beat San Francisco 9-8 Monday night.

Jeff Kent became the first Giants player in eight years to hit for the cycle and went 5-for-5. But the Pirates withstood his big night as Jason Kendall also went 5-for-5 and Giles had three hits and five RBIs.

"They just beat our best and it's tough, real tough," said manager Dusty Baker, whose Giants lost their fourth in a row. "It doesn't get much tougher than this. It takes away a little bit from what Jeff did."

The Pirates trailed 8-5 entering the ninth before rookie Warren Morris homered off Nen, who had converted 13 consecutive save opportunities dating to last season.

"It felt good to get it going," Morris said. "We could have just checked it off as another `go-get-'em-tomorrow' night, but we didn't. That was special."

Of course, Morris is no stranger to memorable homers his only homer of the 1996 season won the College World Series for LSU.

After Al Martin singled, Giles tied it one batter later with a two-out homer to right field for his ninth homer, sixth in 10 games and second two-run shot of the game.

Kevin Young, who also homered earlier, walked and Kendall singled for his fifth hit before Brown won it with a single up the middle.

"This is the kind of win you put a star next to," Brown said. "It's exciting for the players, it's exciting for the fans. It's exciting for everybody."

specially since Pittsburgh is getting used to games like this. On Sunday, Jagr, not expected to play because of a groin injury, scored two late goals to rally the Penguins past the Devils and force a Game 7 of their NHL playoff series.

Until the Pirates' comeback, Joe Nathan stood to become the first San Francisco rookie to win his first three career starts since Juan Marichal in 1960, despite giving up three homers in the first two innings.

Giles hit a two-run homer following shortstop Rich Aurilia's error in the first and Young followed with his third homer.

Martin's first homer of the season made it 4-1 in the second inning, but Pirates starter Chris Peters, who gave up six earned runs in five innings, couldn't hold the lead.

Kent, 5-for-5 with four RBIs, singled in the first and hit a three-run homer in the third for his first RBIs since April 20. He tripled to center in the fifth, doubled down the left-field line in the seventh to complete the cycle, then singled again in the ninth.

"I wasn't really happy when it happened anyway," Kent said of the cycle.

"It's not a priority of mine to be individually successfully. I'm too old and have done too many things ... a World Series ring is all I care about."

Kent is only the second player to hit for the cycle in Three Rivers Stadium. Joe Torre, now the New York Yankees' manager, also did so on June 27, 1973 for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Robby Thompson had been the last Giants player to hit for the cycle, on April 22, 1991, against San Diego.

The Giants' Ramon Martinez and Ellis Burks singled in the second ahead of Kent's fourth homer and his first since April 20. Aurilia hit his fifth a batter later to put the Giants up 5-4.

Kent had an RBI triple in the fifth and scored on Charlie Hayes' grounder. Scott Servais added a run-scoring double in the eighth off Rich Loiselle (2-1).

Notes: Pirates shortstop Pat Meares was a late scratch with soreness in his left wrist, the same injury that sidelined him for first 2@1/2 weeks of the season. ... Giles had hit six of the last seven Pirates homers until Young and Martin connected. ... The Pirates' Marc Wilkins made his first appearance since last May 21. He had shoulder surgery in September. ... No. 1 starters Francisco Cordova (Pirates) and Mark Gardner (Giants) both made rehabilitation starts Monday night. Cordova gave up seven hits and four runs, one earned, and struck out seven in five innings for Double-A Altoona against Akron. ... Giants third baseman Bill Mueller, out since fracturing a toe on opening day, may begin a rehabilitation assignment later this week. ... Pirates third baseman Ed Sprague returned after sitting out two games with a strained right hamstring.

©1999 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed