Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Freddy Sanchez dives into the stands near third base to snag a ball hit by the Braves' Willy Aybar last night in the seventh inning.

By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

	Looking ahead Today: Pirates (Paul Maholm 4-9) vs. Braves (Horacio Ramirez 5-4), 7:05 p.m. Where: PNC Park TV/Radio: FSN Pittsburgh/KDKA-AM (1020) and Pirates Radio Network. Related articles McClatchy: Savings from trades will go back into team Pirates Notebook: Duffy, Tracy meet to clear air Smizik: 'New' Pirates are worth watching

The way John Smoltz was cruising for the Atlanta Braves, Ian Snell might have felt compelled to whiff every batter he faced.

So, that is precisely what he tried.

"Oh, yeah. I wanted everybody," he would confess later. "All I'm thinking is to make two good pitches, then one devastating one."

He shook his head.

"It just didn't work out."

Not entirely, anyway.

Snell tied a career high by fanning 10 batters in seven innings, but he gave up two home runs to Adam LaRoche and could not match the typically smooth Smoltz in the Pirates' 4-2 loss last night before 22,145 at PNC Park.

That ended a season-high five-game winning streak and cut off any enthusiasm that might have been generated by the four new faces from the Monday spate of trades.

But, from an individual standpoint, it extended a sterling run of strikeouts for Snell in which he has 40 in 37 innings over his past six starts. And it was that aspect that seemed to stand out most for the home side.

"The kid is really coming," Pirates manager Jim Tracy said. "He's throwing quality first strikes, getting in there early with his fastball. I mean, he's throwing 96 mph and, then, he's coming in with a slider, a curve, a changeup ... and that can be overwhelming to hitters because of how hard he throws."

That was how the guy on the receiving end saw it.

"Every pitch came in hard," catcher Ronny Paulino said. "If you're in the box, it's tough to read that."

At least two of Atlanta's hitters -- LaRoche and Marcus Giles -- clearly had an easier time than the rest, though, and that would be enough in this game.

Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Reliever Josh Sharpless, a Freedom native, pitched a scoreless eighth inning in his major-league debut. Click photo for larger image.

LaRoche, riding a .344 tear since the All-Star break, opened the scoring by drilling a flat fastball inside the right pole to lead off the third.

Giles doubled to start the fourth and came around when left fielder Jason Bay misjudged Brian McCann's pop that landed in shallow left.

The Pirates pulled within 2-1 in the bottom half when Jeromy Burnitz followed Freddy Sanchez's double with one of his own, high off the Clemente Wall.

Giles delivered again in the next inning, though, with an RBI double to left-center field and would wind up with a third double off Snell in the seventh, part of a 3-for-5 output.

LaRoche put the Braves ahead, 4-1, on his second home run, this a 429-foot shot atop the right-field seats off a changeup that went farther inside than Snell intended.

"I made a couple of mistakes, and they cost me," Snell said. "Neither of those pitches LaRoche hit did what I wanted."

Snell hit on most of the rest, throwing 63 of 94 pitches for strikes and walking one.

But Smoltz, 5-0 in his past six starts for Atlanta, was even better in his seven innings. He limited the Pirates to a run on six hits, striking out six and walking none, seemingly without breaking a sweat. He threw 69 of 99 pitches for strikes.

"That's what you get from John," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "Both guys were out there throwing strikes. I thought their kid was extremely impressive. But, the way John pitches, he can match that. He did a great job."

The Pirates left the tying run aboard in the ninth against Atlanta closer Bob Wickman.

Bay got it going with a single and, after an out, took second on Xavier Nady's groundout, then third when Jose Castillo reached on shortstop Edgar Renteria's error. Paulino's sharp shot to third struck the base and hovered long enough for an infield single that cut the Braves' lead to 4-2.

But, with men on first and second, pinch-hitter Jose Hernandez struck out, swinging late under a Wickman fastball.

"I thought he was coming with a slider," Hernandez said. "He made a good pitch."

"We played a good ballgame," Tracy said. "We hit a few balls right on the nose, but you've got to make that guy in center move a little bit to get those to fall."

That was a reference to four line drives to Gold Glove center fielder Andruw Jones while Smoltz was pitching.

"We went against a great pitcher, had a good start from our guy and some good at-bats. They just beat us."

Of the newcomers who played:

Center fielder Chris Duffy led off and went 0 for 4 with two swinging strikeouts. In the sixth, he threw out McCann trying to stretch a single to a double.

Nady, starting at first base, singled and grounded out three times out of the No. 6 spot.

And reliever Josh Sharpless, a Freedom native making his major-league debut before a dozen family and friends, pitched a wobbly eighth inning in which he walked the bases loaded but did not give up a run. He needed 28 pitches to escape it, and only 12 were strikes.