Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Starter Oliver Perez went six innings last night, giving up four runs, three on solo home runs by the Marlins. Click photo for larger image. More Pirates Coverage: Pirates Notebook: Bradley has tests for numbness Trophy settlement expected Minor-League Report: 6/1/05

For the first three innings last night, Oliver Perez looked as much like he did last year as the Pirates could want.

Even in the next three innings, he wasn't all that bad -- despite the fact he allowed three home runs, including back-to-back bolts by Carlos Delgado and Juan Encarnacion in the fourth.

All three home runs were solo shots.

"People will say he gave up three home runs, so he must not have been too good," Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon said. "But home runs with nobody on base still give the club a chance to win. All in all, I thought he pitched pretty darn good."

The bottom line was pretty darn good for the Pirates, too.

Daryle Ward, permitted by Florida to face right-hander Nate Bump with left-hander Matt Perisho warming in the bullpen, sent a two-run home run into the right-field bleachers with two outs in the seventh inning that lifted the Pirates to a 5-4 victory against the Marlins.

Jose Mesa followed scoreless relief innings by Brian Meadows and Mike Gonzalez with a crisp, seven-pitch ninth inning to earn his 13th save.

It was the Pirates' eighth consecutive win against the Marlins at PNC Park.

Ward's home run was the National League-leading 38th for the Pirates in May. They fell five short of tying the club record for most home runs in a month (43 in August, 1947).

Perez allowed seven hits but walked none and struck out six in his 85-pitch six-inning stint.

Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Shortstop Jack Wilson dives back to second base to double off the Marlins' Matt Treanor. Click photo for larger image. Today's Game Game: Marlins (Brian Moehler, 2-2) vs. Pirates (Josh Fogg, 3-3), 7:05 p.m., PNC Park. TV/radio: FSN Pittsburgh/KDKA-AM (1020) and Pirates Radio Network.

"I thought he was much better, much more efficient in the strike zone," McClendon said. "I'm very encouraged."

The Pirates are trying to get Perez back into his 2004 form that produced a 12-10 record and a 2.98 earned run average.

"The thing that makes me the happiest right now is that his stuff is better than it had been earlier in the year and I think that's a big key," pitching coach Spin Williams said. "I still don't think he's quite as consistent as he was last year. I think he's still a little bit out of whack from trying to overdo a little bit and overthrowing a little bit.

"But he's making progress. His last sideline was better than his sideline before that. The arm strength is coming back. We're trying to get him deeper into the games. For that, he needs to use his changeup to get quicker outs with. We've been preaching that to him and, hopefully, he'll figure it out sooner than later."

McClendon thinks, based on a 100-pitch effort, Perez needs to throw 15 to 20 changeups. Last night, Perez threw no more than four.

"It's his third-best pitch, but it's still a good pitch," McClendon said. "One of the hardest things to ask a young pitcher to do in the heat of the battle is for him to go to his third-best pitch because he's worried about getting beat with it.

"But the fact is, he's got to get that confidence in it to be able to use it. Anybody who says [he doesn't] doesn't know what they're talking about. Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens. The changeup is part of their repertoire. It makes their fastball even more powerful. It's a big pitch for [Perez], and he's got to master that pitch."

	Center fielder Rob Mackowiak misplays a ball hit by the Marlins' Juan Encarnacion in the sixth inning last night at PNC Park. Click photo for larger image.

With the help of the Marlins, the Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the third inning.

Jack Wilson singled to center field, the first of his three hits last night. Perez got a bunt down in front of the plate. Catcher Matt Treanor threw the ball past first base, and that error allowed Wilson to reach third base.

Florida entered the game with only 25 errors, tied with Arizona and Texas for the fewest in the major leagues.

Matt Lawton lined out to left field. Miguel Cabrera unleashed a strong throw to the plate, but Wilson was able to slide under Treanor's tag.

A.J. Burnett hit Freddy Sanchez with a pitch, but the Pirates couldn't turn this gift into a larger inning. Jason Bay bounced to third.

The Florida defense helped the Pirates again in the fifth inning.

Second baseman Luis Castillo allowed Humberto Cota's leadoff bouncer to go through his legs for another error. Wilson popped to right field before Perez put down another sacrifice.

Lawton walked. On a 1-2 pitch, Sanchez, hitting .323 in his 17 starts, drove a double into the left-center field gap, scoring both runners.

"Freddy continues to spark us," McClendon said.

That second present gave the Pirates a 3-2 lead, but Perez couldn't hold it.

With one out in the sixth inning, Cabrera drove the first pitch -- a changeup -- deep into the left-field seats. Delgado singled to right and moved to third on Encarnacion's double to center -- a line drive that eluded a diving Rob Mackowiak and rolled past him.

Mike Lowell's sacrifice fly to the track in left field got Delgado home with the go-ahead run.

The Pirates had a two-out scoring opportunity in the bottom of the sixth following singles by Cota and Wilson that placed runners on first and second.

Tike Redman pinch-hit for Perez because Redman hits a hard fastball better than Bobby Hill and worked the count to 3-1 before rolling to first base against Burnett, who threw in the 98-99 mph range last night.

The Pirates didn't waste the two-out opportunity they had in their half of the seventh inning.

Bay singled to left and Ward followed with his 10th home run, a shot well into the right-field bleachers on a 2-2 curveball.

"You can't ask for a better performance as a team that we've had the last two games against a team that's won two World Series," Ward said.