Peter Diana, Post-Gazette photos Starter Oliver Perez hangs his head yesterday after giving up four runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings. Click photo for larger image. More Coverage: Pirates Notebook: Opening 1-12 on road a franchise low Pirates Scouting Report: Chicago Cubs (13-10) Game Statistics Provided by Forecaster Pirates vs. Phillies box score Game play-by-play ON DECK: Monday at Cubs, 8:05 Victor Santos (1-4) vs. Sean Marshall (2-0) TV/radio: FSN Pittsburgh/KDKA-AM (1020) and Pirates Radio Network. Tuesday at Cubs, 2:20 Zach Duke (1-2) vs. Angel Guzman (0-0) WGN/KDKA-AM (1020)

If aces are wild, then it would appear the Pirates have, indeed, turned up their ace.

Oliver Perez, still looking much more like a loose link than the leader of the staff, was pounded for four runs and pulled two outs into the fourth inning of the 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday before 22,320 at PNC Park.

That ended the rotation's most encouraging run of the young season, deflated his team's chance at its first three-game winning streak and, perhaps most compelling on an otherwise back-to-reality afternoon, drew pointed criticism from the man who only a month ago was touting Perez as his No. 1 starter.

"There's very little positive that I can say about the first 3 2/3 innings, the pitching that I saw today," manager Jim Tracy said. "Oliver was not good at all. He had no command. He had a decent first inning but, beyond that, nothing to speak of."

All through spring training, Tracy had displayed confidence in Perez -- or was it hope? -- that he could lead the Pirates' young rotation. When Perez performed well, Tracy would say he "pitched like an ace." When time came to choose a starter for opening day, Tracy made him the man.

But Perez has not begun to live up to that estimation, as is painfully evident by his 1-4 record and 7.53 ERA. Among National League pitchers with five or more starts, only the Chicago Cubs' Glendon Rusch is higher at 8.46.

Yesterday, Perez was at his wild, wild worst:

Of his excruciating pitch count of 106, 48 were balls.

In addition to missing within the strike zone and allowing six hits, he walked five to run his season total to 23 in 28 2/3 innings.

He gave up solo home runs to Pat Burrell in the second and Jimmy Rollins in the third, each driving the ball against the wind into the left-field bleachers. That raised Perez's total to eight home runs, trailing only Rusch (11) and the Washington Nationals' Livan Hernandez (nine).

Left fielder Jason Bay makes a grab yesterday for a ball hit by the Phillies' Pat Burrell for a double. Click photo for larger image.

He loaded the bases in the fourth with two walks and a single, and threw a wild pitch before Tracy had seen enough. Ryan Vogelsong relieved and spared further damage to Perez's ERA by striking out Burrell.

Coming as it did in the aftermath of strong starts by Zach Duke, Ian Snell and Paul Maholm -- the latter two setting the stage for what would have been an uplifting three-game sweep of Philadelphia -- Perez's outing stood out all the more.

"In the previous three days, you saw three young kids go out there and pitch ahead in the count and pound the strike zone," Tracy said. "We saw balls today that were thrown all over the place. They bounced, they went to the backstop ... all over the place."

"I was trying to do my best," Perez said. "I didn't pitch well today, and I feel bad because we played two good games against the Phillies."

Tracy strongly suggested that Perez did not do enough, at least in terms of applying himself to learn from pitching coach Jim Colborn.

"I know there are things Colby's working on, but it's a two-way street," Tracy said. "We don't take information to players unless we feel it's going to be very useful for them. You as an individual, as a player, have to do something about it and take a step forward and try to make some of the adjustments being suggested."

Asked about his instruction, Perez replied, "I'm always working on my mechanics."

Velocity has been an issue for Perez since his brilliant 2004, and it was again when the fastball on Rollins' home run registered only 89 mph. But he also used 94-mph heat to get swinging strikeouts of Sal Fasano and Aaron Rowand.

It was not nearly as prominent a factor as his control.

"I was everywhere today," Perez said. "I have to see what happened. I was feeling good, throwing hard. But maybe I was going too fast with the delivery to home plate. Next game, I have to be more relaxed."

Philadelphia would tack on one more run against the bullpen, and the Pirates' offense would be limited to Jack Wilson's fifth home run, in the seventh inning.

Phillies starter Gavin Floyd turned in seven uneventful innings, with only the Wilson shot denting him, despite throwing three fewer pitches than Perez. But Tracy sounded far less impressed with Floyd than he was disturbed by his hitters' approaches.

"He was effectively wild enough to be successful," Tracy said of Floyd. "He got away with a number of hitter's counts."

Floyd walked five, but he stranded eight runners.

"Obviously, we didn't click on all facets in this one," Wilson said. "But we need to build from what we did this weekend. We took two of three from a good team, and we should take the positives from it."