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Wilson, Paulino help Pirates ruin Mulder's return

Sep 6, 2007 - 5:29 AM By Chip Sotolar PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) - The Pittsburgh Pirates spoiled Mark Mulder's first start in over a year.

Jack Wilson and Ronnie Paulino both drove in three runs and Tony Armas tossed six solid innings as the Pirates coasted to an 8-2 win over the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday.

In his first appearance on the hill since August 29, 2006, Mulder (0-1) was tagged for six runs and eight hits in four innings. The 30-year-old lefthander, who missed 135 games while recovering from rotator cuff surgery, threw just 59 pitches - 39 for strikes.

After breezing through the first inning, Mulder ran into some trouble in the next frame. With the bases loaded, Wilson lined a three-run double into the left field corner to give Pittsburgh a 3-0 lead.

"The first inning I felt really good," Mulder said. "After that I just got out of whack. I didn't feel tired. I didn't feel fatigued or anything. Something just kind of changed for me a little bit and I couldn't get it back."

"His two-seamer didn't have as much sink as it was when he was in his prime," Wilson said. "That's going to come with time. His velocity was real nice. Once that two-seamer comes back, which I'm sure it will, he's going to be back to his old self. His velocity was very good."

St. Louis' Rick Ankiel made it a one-run game with his seventh homer of the season - a two-run blast - into the right field stands in the third.

But Paulino gave the Pirates some breathing room an inning later as he drilled Mulder's pitch over the center field wall for his 10th homer - a three-run shot - to make it 6-2.

"We're back in this thing and then I give up a three-run homer right there," Mulder said. "When your team comes back for you, you don't want to give it right back. It's a big inning to go out there and put a zero up and I didn't do it."

"I probably liked him better than he liked himself," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "I think he was upset but I saw quite a few things I liked."

Armas (3-5) allowed two runs and five hits through six innings to picked up his first victory since August 11 - a span of five starts. The righthander improved to 2-0 against the Cardinals this campaign.

"You can score as much runs as you want," Wilson said. "(It doesn't matter) if your pitching doesn't hold them in check. That's what (Armas) done the last couple of starts. He's thrown a lot of off-speed pitches for strikes in hitters' counts, keeping them off-balance."

Pittsburgh added two more runs off reliever Brian Falkenborg. Adam LaRoche hit his 21st homer in the fifth and Csar Izturis laced an RBI single in the sixth.

"Our offensive approach continues to be great," Pirates manager Jim Tracy said. "When you have the luxury of getting six RBI from the two guys in the seven and eight spots in the lineup, you put yourself in a very good position."

David Eckstein had two hits for the Cardinals, who lost for only the sixth time in their last 22 games at Busch Stadium.

The Cardinals (68-68) fell two games behind the National League Central-leading Chicago Cubs (71-67) and 1 1/2 behind the second-place Milwaukee Brewers (71-68).