ST. LOUIS Bittersweet game for the Pirates

The Bucs edged St. Louis, but watched as Kenny Lofton's hitting streak ended.
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Kenny Lofton went 0-for-5 and ended his 26-game hitting streak, but the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cardinals and previously unbeaten Woody Williams 4-3 Saturday.
The Pirates have won five of six, including the first two games of the three-game series. The Cardinals fell to 2-4 on a 13-game homestand, their longest of the season, despite the return of center fielder and cleanup hitter Jim Edmonds after missing two games with bruised ribs.
Record blemished
Williams (7-1) failed in his bid to become the NL's first eight-game winner, allowing four runs -- two earned -- in eight innings. He lost for the first time in 15 starts since Aug. 29, 2002 at Cincinnati, although his ERA remained at an NL-leading 2.19.
Lofton struck out, reached on an error, flied out twice and lined out to the mound in the ninth to end the streak that was tied with Boston's Nomar Garciaparra for the longest in the major leagues this season. Garciaparra's streak ended on Wednesday.
Lofton batted .406 (43-106) during the streak, which fell one shy of the team record set by Jimmy Williams in 1899.
Kip Wells (2-2) made his first start in 15 days due to blisters on his pitching hand and worked five innings, allowing solo homers by J.D. Drew and Albert Pujols. He struck out one and walked three to win for the first time since May 1.
Drew hit his fourth homer, and second off the right-field scoreboard this season, with one out in the first. The drive was estimated at 457 feet.
Miscues
Third baseman Scott Rolen dropped Abraham Nunez's foul pop near the Pirates' dugout with two outs in the second, and Nunez responded with an RBI double that tied it in the second. Catcher Mike Matheny was unable to handle a short-hop relay from shortstop Edgar Renteria that likely would have beaten the runner to the plate.
Renteria's fielding error and a bunt single by Jack Wilson preceded Brian Giles' fifth homer, giving the Pirates a 4-1 lead in the third.
Pujols hit his 15th homer, and first since May 22, leading off the fourth for the Cardinals.
The Cardinals cut the gap to a run in the eighth against three Pirates relievers, including Pujols' RBI double off Brian Boehringer. But Renteria flied out to the right-field wall with the bases loaded off Boehringer for the final out.
Mike Williams worked the ninth for his 15th save in 18 opportunities.
Notes
Edmonds was 0-for-2 with two walks, one of them intentional. He wasn't in the original lineup card but was inserted after taking batting practice and making throws without pain. ... Aramis Ramirez singled in the fifth to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 14 games. ... Joe Garagiola, with fellow Hall of Famer Yogi Berra at his side, threw out the first pitch. The two grew up on The Hill in St. Louis. ... The Pirates have won six of their last eight on the road. ... The last Cardinals pitcher to start 8-0 was Garrett Stephenson in 2000. ... Pujols made a nice catch retreating to the wall in left on Craig Wilson's drive in the eighth, recovering after getting turned around. ... The Cardinals are 2-14 in one-run decisions.
PITTSBURGHST. LOUIS
abrhbiabrhbi
Lofton cf5100Cairo 2b5000
JWilsn ss5110JDrew rf4121
BGiles lf4123Fssero p0000
ARmrz 3b4010Pujols lf3132
Simon 1b4000Edmnd cf2000
KYong 1b0000Rolen 3b3000
Kendall c4020Rnteria ss3000
CWilsn rf4110TMrtnz 1b3000
ANunez 2b3021Mtheny c4000
Bhrngr p0000WWlms p2000
MWlms p0000OPlmro rf1110
Wells p3000Tguchi pr0000
Beimel p0000
Tvarez p0000
Srbeck p0000
Rboulet 2b1000
Totals37494Totals30363
Pittsburgh013000000--4
St. Louis100100010--3
E--Rolen (4), Renteria (6). DP--Pittsburgh 2. LOB--Pittsburgh 7, St. Louis 7. 2B--ANunez (2), Pujols 2 (18), OPalmeiro (4). HR--BGiles (5), JDrew (5), Pujols (15). SB--Renteria (7).
IPHRERBBSO
Pittsburgh
Wells W,2-2532231
Beimel1-300001
Tavarez211101
Sauerbeck010000
Boehringer2-310010
MiWilliams S,15100010
St. Louis
WWilliams L,7-1894215
Fassero100001
Wells pitched to 1 batter in the 6th, Sauerbeck pitched to 1 batter in the 8th. HBP--by Boehringer (Rolen), by Wells (Pujols). Umpires--Home, Hunter Wendelstedt; First, Mike Everitt; Second, Larry Young; Third, Jim Wolf. T--2:56. A--43,789.