Hot Pirates cool off Cards

PITTSBURGH -- A heated exchange in the dugout didn't keep the Pittsburgh Pirates from cooling off the NL's hottest team.

Kip Wells limited St. Louis to three singles over 6 2/3 shutout innings as the Pirates ended the Cardinals' five-game winning streak with a 5-2 victory Friday night.

The Cardinals were eager to carry the momentum from their 9-1 home stand into PNC Park, where they were 6-1 last season, only to lose for just the second time in 12 games and third in 15 games.

"We didn't pitch as well as the other guy did," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "We made some mistake pitches you can't afford to make when the other pitcher is pitching as well as Wells was."

Despite winning only their third in 10 games, the Pirates were hustled off the field for a team meeting called by manager Lloyd McClendon, who wasn't happy that reliever Brian Boehringer screamed at shortstop Jack Wilson in the dugout during the eighth inning.

Boehringer apparently was unhappy that Wilson permitted Miguel Cairo's hard-hit grounder skip over his glove for a single, leading to St. Louis' first run. Boehringer paced the dugout, talking to himself for several minutes, before yelling at Wilson.

Boehringer didn't talk afterward. Wilson -- who had two doubles among three hits -- said, "It was something he and I discussed earlier. But it's over and I'm happy we got the win."

Keeping it internal

McClendon, who escorted Boehringer out of the dugout and into the clubhouse after the exchange, clearly wasn't happy that one of his players yelled at another in clear view of TV cameras and the fans.

"That has to stay internal," McClendon said.

Despite the flare-up, Wells (7-2), who has accounted for nearly one-third of the Pirates' 22 victories, won for the sixth time in seven decisions, never allowing a runner to third until the seventh in his third successive strong start. He struck out four and walked three.

Wells has allowed only 12 hits and two earned runs in 19 2-3 innings over those three starts, all victories, to lower his ERA to 3.47.

Wells is already within three victories of matching last year's victory total when he went 10-11 in 40 games for the White Sox, who traded him, Josh Fogg and reliever Sean Lowe for right-hander Todd Ritchie in December.

"It's nice to know that I can do well and help the team when it's down," Wells said. "I'm happy to have the opportunity I have here and it's definitely paying dividends."

Wells got plenty of support from the NL's weakest offense -- the Pirates came into the game hitting .229 -- as Rob Mackowiak hit a solo homer and Wilson, hitless in his last eight at-bats, had two doubles. The Pirates were coming off a 2-6 road trip and had won only nine of 29 since a 12-5 start.

The loss was a turnaround not only for the Cardinals, 14-3 against the Pirates last season, but Garrett Stephenson (1-3), who had been 5-0 against them.

Stephenson got into trouble at the start as Wilson doubled to left with one out in the first and scored on Brian Giles' seventh consecutive hit over three games, a single.

Giles went 2-for-3, adding another RBI single in the fifth following Wilson's second double. The inning before, Mackowiak homered over the right-field grandstand for his sixth of the season.

Stephenson lasted 5 1-3 innings, allowing four runs and seven hits despite striking out six.

"I needed to keep it at 2-0 or 3-0, not 4-0," Stephenson said. "That's not keeping us in the game. I'm definitely disappointed in myself."

Mike Williams pitched the ninth in a non-save situation, allowing Kerry Robinson's RBI single -- only the second run he has allowed in 17 games.

Noteworthy

The 47-minute rain delay at the start was the 10th delay in the Pirates' 22 scheduled home dates, with one postponement. The delays have totaled 12 hours, 36 minutes. ... Wells has allowed only 14 earned runs in his last eight starts. ... Stephenson, who had reconstructive elbow surgery last season, hadn't opposed the Pirates since beating them for his career-high 16th victory on Sept. 11, 2000. ... St. Louis is 9-14 on the road and 5-9 against the NL Central, compared to 14-2 at home in the division. ... The Cardinals outscored the Pirates 46-14 at PNC Park last season. ... Mackowiak had only four hits in 27 at-bats before homering.