DENVER - Not good enough.

The Pirates got some offense, some pitching and some defense, but more clearly was needed than some of this, some of that, in a 5-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies tonight at Coors Field.

Paul Maholm looked dominant early but wound up charged with five runs in six innings.

The offense struck for three runs early but wound up laying six consecutive eggs and had one measly hit beyond the fourth inning.

Even the defense, which has been quietly reliable for two months now, had its hiccups.

And this against a Colorado team that had lost four in a row, is well below the Pirates in the overall standings and was missing nearly half its regular lineup to injury.

Some on the Pirates' roster recalled how they had a decent run into the All-Star break last summer, only to see the season slam shut with a seven-game losing streak.

Will there be a sequel?

"That can't happen again, and we're going to do everything we can to prevent that," center fielder Nate McLouth said beforehand.

For that to happen, of course, the pitching has to become something other than the worst in Major League Baseball.

"We've got some guys who are tired in that bullpen, and it's up to our starters to improve," manager John Russell. "You look at Matt Capps, John Grabow, Tyler Yates, Damaso Marte, and those guys have been out there a lot. That can't keep happening."

The Pirates pounced on Ubaldo Jimenez for three runs in the third: McLouth blooped a single, and Freddy Sanchez was hit by a pitch. One batter later, McLouth scored on a wild pitch. After Jason Bay walked, Adam LaRoche doubled home two more.

Maholm was perfect through three, but Colorado scored twice in the fourth to snap a 25-inning scoreless drought, this on RBI hits by Jeff Baker and Chris Iannetta.

After a 1-2-3 fifth, the Rockies took a 5-3 lead in the sixth: First came back-to-back doubles by Baker and Garrett Atkins. The first pitch after Atkins' at-bat brought a two-run home run by Iannetta, that off a lifeless slider that allowed full extension of the arms and left no doubt as it soared into the left-field seats.

Meanwhile, Jimenez settled and finished with four zeroes in pitching seven innings.

Brian Fuentes recorded his 15th save with a sizzling ninth in which he struck out the side.

Until last night, the more Maholm was pitching, the better he was getting. And that was true in a couple ways.

One, he was quite good in his previous eight starts, going 4-0 with a 2.67 ERA. The ERA in that span, beginning with May 31, ranked eighth in the majors, third among left-handers.

Two, he tends to thrive on regular work. He was a better pitcher last year on three days' rest than four, and his need for rhythm prompted him to eagerly accept the first start out of the All-Star break.

"He prepares himself so well between starts, and that makes a big difference," Russell said of Maholm. "That's one reason why we brought him back. He likes to stay in a routine. And his efficiency has a lot to do with that. It's not always the total pitch count that matters. It's how many times you have those innings where you're out there a long time, getting worn down. He hasn't had many of those."

The defense included the usual fine work from Jack Wilson, as well as a tumbling catch by McLouth to strand a man at third in the fifth inning.

But there also was an ugly sequence in the fourth when McLouth unnecessarily threw home - quite late - and Doumit followed up by throwing into center field in trying to keep the runner from scoring. It did not result in a run, but that made it no prettier. There also was a foul pop outside the left field line that fell untouched between Bay, Wilson and Jose Bautista, also not factoring into the score.

The Pirates have lost four in a row on the road and are 14-24 away from PNC Park this season.