Peter Zuzga, Associated Press Starter Oliver Perez struck out nine and allowed only one run against the Brewers in 5 1/3 innings yesterday in Milwaukee. Click photo for larger image. Looking ahead Today: Pirates (Victor Santos, 4-13 last season) vs. Brewers (Chris Capuano, 18-12 last season), 8:05 p.m. Where: Miller Park, Milwaukee. Radio: KDKA-AM (1020) and Pirates Radio Network. Related articles Pirates extend Littlefield's contract to 2008 Late innings provide no relief for Pirates Stats Geek: Pre-BALCO, Bonds had few peers Pirates Notebook: Brewers think Santos has 'stuff' to succeed Graphic: How Perez struck out nine batters Game Statistics Provided by Forecaster Pirates vs. Brewers box score Game play-by-play

MILWAUKEE -- It will not take long, the Pirates' players were insisting, to shake off their 5-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers yesterday at Miller Park.

Even though it was the season opener and manager Jim Tracy's debut.

Even though their bullpen, expected to be a strength, squandered a late lead.

Even though the freshly formed, $20 million heart of the order barely registered a beat.

And that was due, all concerned were saying, to Oliver Perez.

The team's ace, as he is being labeled by Tracy and a growing number of teammates, delivered a promising 2006 debut in striking out nine while limiting Milwaukee to one run and three hits in 5 1/3 innings.

In 20 starts last season, Perez struck out that many once. The previous year, when he was among Major League Baseball's elite flamethrowers, he achieved it 12 times.

"He threw a great ballgame," Tracy said.

"He showed us he can be the anchor in our rotation again." catcher Humberto Cota said.

"He was outstanding," reliever Salomon Torres said. "I've been hearing about his velocity and all that, but today he did what he needed to do. He showed me a lot. He showed me maturity. He was making his pitches like a No. 1 starter that everybody knows he should be."

That maturity was evident on two fronts, maybe three.

One was pitch selection. Perez leaned on sliders and changeups early but, as sunlight slipped into the ballpark's windows in the fourth inning, he switched to the fastball because he detected that hitters were not seeing it well.

Another area was command, which improved deeper into the game. Perez threw a first-pitch ball to nine of his first 13 batters and gave up all three of his walks in that span. He then fanned six of his final eight batters and trailed in the count to only one.

And that much-discussed velocity? It was not all back, but it continued the gradual ascent shown in spring training. He peaked at 93 mph and, of his eight swinging strikeouts, six came on fastballs.

"Everything is getting better," Perez said. "I was trying to use all my pitches, and I was trying to throw the ball to a good spot every time. I don't want to try to strike out everybody. I just want to throw as many innings as I can."

He might have gone more but for one unfortunate circumstance.

After striking out J.J. Hardy -- who homered against him in the first inning -- to start the sixth, Perez did likewise to Geoff Jenkins with an inside fastball. Trouble was, Cota had called for a slider. The ball zipped to the backstop, and Jenkins took first on what was ruled a wild pitch.

Tracy was leery of Perez's pitch count of 95 and, with the Pirates ahead, 2-1, and cleanup man Carlos Lee stepping in, he summoned Torres an inning earlier than hoped.

"Could Perez have continued? The answer is definitely yes," Tracy said. "However, when you've got a guy with a pitch count as high as he's been since we began spring training, and now Lee is the go-ahead run, you've got a pretty good guy out there to put the inning down."

Torres did close that out, but trouble followed when he was sent back out for the seventh.

He opened by walking Rickie Weeks and Bill Hall. Damian Miller's bunt attempt went back to the mound, but Torres muffed it, missed a chance at the lead runner and settled for the slow-footed Miller at first.

"Can't believe it," Torres said. "It might have been a double play, too."

Damaso Marte relieved Torres, and pinch-hitter Jeff Cirillo's bouncer off the end of his bat sneaked through the left side to put Milwaukee ahead, 3-2.

That became 5-2 in the eighth when Lee outlasted an 11-pitch at-bat against Matt Capps to drill a two-run home run.

The Pirates' offense did little beyond dink its way to two runs, one on a Perez single to center in the second, the other on Cota's bases-loaded infield single in the sixth.

The Brewers clearly ducked Jason Bay, as happened with so many opponents last season, and walked him his first three times up. And the hitters acquired to protect Bay went a combined 1 for 12: Sean Casey grounded into two of the Pirates' four double plays. Joe Randa ended rallies in his first two at-bats and popped up after the first two men reached in the sixth. Jeromy Burnitz failed to get a ball out of the infield.

"It kept feeling like we were about to put together a big inning, and the rally would just die," Casey said. "Hopefully, that won't be a trend."

With that, Casey let out a booming laugh, yet another sign the Pirates were not about to magnify the first of 162.

"Oliver did great, and we just didn't get the big hit for him," shortstop Jack Wilson said. "Oh, well."

How Oliver Perez struck out nine batters yesterday: