Jones (2-1) picked up the win in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Guardians, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out nine.
The right-hander set a season high in strikeouts in his ninth start since returning from Tommy John surgery in late May, tossing 48 of 74 pitches for strikes. Jones' workload is still being monitored by the Pirates -- he's topped 80 pitches just once so far in 2026 -- and he's lasted five frames only three times, but he's delivered a 4.05 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 48:12 K:BB over 40 innings. Jones will look to build on this result in his next outing, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Cubs.