PITTSBURGH -Rookie left-hander Sean Burnett shut out St. Louis for six innings in his first major league victory, and Tike Redman drove in two runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates past the division-leading Cardinals 3-0 on Tuesday night.

Burnett (1-2), who got little run support in his first three career starts, outpitched Chris Carpenter (8-3) as the last-place Pirates beat the Cardinals for the second straight night after dropping 14 of 16 at home to St. Louis.

The Pirates again got excellent pitching as they won their fourth in a row, matching a season high previously set May 13-16. They began the three-game series with a 11-22 home record that was the majors’ worst, while the Cardinals still own the best road record (26-14).

Burnett, no doubt aware the Pirates scored only four runs in his first three starts, worked out of jams in the first two innings before settling in. He stranded runners on first and second by striking out Reggie Sanders in the first then, after allowing leadoff singles to John Mabry and So Taguchi in the second, retired the next three hitters.

The Cardinals stranded seven runners during Burnett’s six innings and nine overall and have scored only one run so far in the series, which started with a 2-1 loss Monday to Kris Benson and reliever Jose Mesa.

Mark Corey followed Burnett with a scoreless seventh, getting Edgar Renteria on a long fly ball to left with Tony Womack on second, and Salomon Torres pitched the eighth. Mesa, who got the victory Monday with a scoreless ninth, finished up again for his 18th save in as many chances.

Burnett had pitched with a lead only once previously, but the Pirates gave him a 1-0 lead in the second when Carpenter walked Jason Bay with one out, Randall Simon singled and Bay came home on Redman’s force-play grounder.

The Cardinals had won 10 of Carpenter’s last 11 starts and 11 of his 14 starts overall, but the right-hander gave up two more runs in the sixth before leaving.

Rob Mackowiak singled and Craig Wilson doubled before Simon was intentionally walked to load the bases. Redman then singled into left field against a drawn-in infield, and Wilson scored on Bobby Hill’s grounder to the mound.

Burnett left after throwing 101 pitches, striking out four and walking two. He now has as many victories in the majors as he did at Triple-A Nashville, where he was 1-5 with five consecutive losses.

Notes: Carpenter lost for only the second time in eight road decisions. … The Cardinals had lost consecutive games only once since dropping three straight May 22-26. … The Pirates are 8-19 in June and must sweep the series to avoid their first 20-loss month since they were 8-20 in August 2001, during a 100-loss season. … Even with the two losses, the Cardinals are 23-9 since May 27. … Two of the Cardinals’ three shutout losses have occurred since June 20, when they lost 6-0 to Cincinnati. … Mesa must convert his next five save opportunities to tie Mike Williams’ club record of 23 in a row over the 2000-01 seasons.

AP-ES-06-29-04 2140EDT