Jeff Roberson, Associated Press Chris Duffy steals second base as the throw gets past Cardinals shortstop David Eckstein in the fourth inning.

By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

ST. LOUIS - "Nothing special."

That was how Kip Wells described his St. Louis Cardinals' 5-3 downing of the Pirates last night at Busch Stadium.

Even though he pitched seven seamless innings, allowing two runs.

Even though his record had been 1-8, worst in the National League.

And yes, even though he was facing his former team for the first time since they traded him last summer.

"Yeah, it is nice to pitch against them and pitch well," Wells said. "There is some history. I was there for five years. Some of them sent me baby gifts here in the past few days, and not every team would do that for you."

	Jeff Roberson, Associated Press Starter Ian Snell pitched six innings last night, giving up four runs on seven hits against the Cardinals. Click photo for larger image. Today Game: Pirates (LHP Tom Gorzelanny 5-2, 2.43) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (RHP Braden Looper 5-3, 3.27), 1:10 p.m., Busch Stadium. Radio: WPGB-FM (104.7). Key matchup: Looper vs. the heart of the Pirates' order. Freddy Sanchez, Jason Bay, Adam LaRoche and Xavier Nady are a combined 1 for 25 against him. Of note: One reason Albert Pujols is still well below .300 undoubtedly has to do with a lack of protection. The Cardinals' cleanup men -- mostly Scott Rolen -- are batting a combined .186 with two home runs and 19 RBIs. Related articles Nutting pledges to upgrade Dominican facility Pirates Notebook: GM 'confident' in Maholm, Duke Pirates Q&A with Dejan Kovacevic

Wells' wife, Emily, had the couple's first child, Georgia Janell, Saturday morning.

"But, at the same time, I've got to keep myself under control out there. I'm not out there thinking I've got to take it to the Pirates."

He did so, anyway, looking far more efficient than in most of his time in Pittsburgh and, for that matter, his early going in St. Louis: He limited the Pirates to five hits and a walk while striking out four to snap a personal seven-game losing streak.

No agonizing pitch count.

No fraction after his line in the box score.

To hear the Pirates tell it, there was much about Wells that did not seem recognizable.

"He had a little difference in his motion," shortstop Jack Wilson said. "Overall, though, he really just threw a lot of strikes. He had a good sinker going, had good movement and ... we always said when he was over here that he's best when he lets his ball do the moving. That's what happened."

Wells was asked if he might have had an advantage by being familiar with the hitters, and his answer spoke volumes about the Pirates' generally poor approach at the plate, a trait that has been creeping back in the losing streak that is now at four.

"If you make quality pitches to their guys, more often than not, you're going to succeed," Wells said. "But they're not all going to chase breaking pitches in the dirt just because I've seen them do it in the past. You've still got to make good pitches."

Ian Snell gave up St. Louis' first four runs, all off three home runs, but the lack of timely offense was what seemed to resonate most with manager Jim Tracy.

"It's been the story of an awful lot of our games," Tracy said.

The Pirates scored twice off Wells in the sixth - thanks to a St. Louis error and Jason Bay's sacrifice fly -- to pull within 4-2, then squandered chances in the next two innings to tie.

Xavier Nady led off the seventh with a single, but the next man, Wilson, tried a bunt, which looked curious with a two-run deficit. He was an easy out, and Nady would wind up stranded at third.

Was Wilson trying for a hit?

"Yes," Tracy said.

"I saw the pitcher back and thought I had a chance," Wilson said.

Chris Duffy led off the eighth with a triple, and Adam LaRoche's double cut St. Louis' lead to 4-3.

It was then that Cardinals manager Tony La Russa summoned his closer, Jason Isringhausen, an inning earlier than usual. Isringhausen issued a four-pitch walk to Bay, but he caught Ryan Doumit looking at a 2-2 fastball and got Nady to lunge at an 0-2 slider.

Matt Capps gave up a run in the eighth, and Isringhausen put down the Pirates 1-2-3 in the ninth for his 11th save.

The Pirates finished 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position, one night after going 1 for 10 with the bases loaded.

"We did a good job to get back in the game, but we couldn't get over the top," Tracy said. "We needed another hit."

St. Louis' offense was a little less suspenseful: David Eckstein led off the game inning by going deep with a Snell fastball, and Jim Edmonds did likewise in the second innings. Wells' one-out single in the fifth was followed by Chris Duncan's two-out, two-run, no-doubt shot to make it 4-0.

The latter came on a changeup that Snell might have telegraphed.

"I think Duncan looked through my glove and saw how I was holding the ball," Snell said.

He nearly gave up another, too, in the first inning, but Duffy scaled the fence to pull back what would have been a two-run home run for Juan Encarnacion. It was, without a doubt, the Pirates' finest outfield play of the year.

"Just went up and got it," Duffy said.

Home runs were a glaring issue for Snell in 2006, when he allowed 29, fifth-most in the National League. But his total was just two through his first nine starts this season.

"I'm not worried about that," Snell said. "Eckstein hit a good pitch, and the other two were mistakes. I battled back."

Snell ended up lasting six innings in falling to 4-3.

The Pirates' losing streak matches their longest of the year, they fell to a season-low seven games under .500 at 19-26, and they dropped back into a fifth-place tie with the Cardinals in the Central Division.