Who is this guy?

Since PNC Park opened, the Pirates have been trying to find a left-handed power hitter who could take advantage of the short right field wall. Jeremy Burnitz was a bust, so was Adam LaRoche.

Enter Garrett Jones, a 29-year-old rookie, stands 6-4 and weighs 245, has been the surprise of the season. He cracked his fifth home run in the last four games and has seven in his first 12 games since being recalled from the minors. His two home runs against San Francisco Friday night were all the runs the Pirates scored. He homered in the first inning and won it with a one-hopper into the river in the 14th.

Jones spent most of his career in the Minnesota Twins organization and landed in Pittsburgh after Minnesota released him. He was a 14th-round pick by the Atlanta Braves in 1999 but was released three years later.

The nice thing about Jones is that he can play first base, too. LaRoche is plodding along with another unremarkable season (12 HR, 39 RBI, .246 ave.) and has to be considered trade bait before the deadline at the end of the month.

Jones probably won't continue at this pace, but he just needs to provide consistent power and hit .260 or .270 to remain in the lineup. At least he has more promise than Steve Pearce and is providing a much-needed spark to this team.