MIAMI – World Series MVP Josh Beckett was pulled after four innings in his first game back from the disabled list, and Pittsburgh’s Kip Wells pitched eight shutout innings to beat the Florida Marlins 3-1 Monday night for the Pirates’ 10th straight win.

Beckett (4-5), who hadn’t started since June 17 because of a lower back strain, allowed two earned runs on five hits in his 73-pitch outing. He was making just his second start since May 30, a day before he went on the disabled list because of a blister on his right middle finger.

Wells (4-5) won for the first time since May 1, allowing four hits and striking out eight for his first win in eight starts.

Jose Mesa pitched the ninth for his 21st save in 22 chances, but allowed Alex Gonzalez’s RBI double. With one out, catcher Jason Kendall made a heads-up play to prevent another run from scoring.

He ran to retrieve a wild pitch that bounced off the wall behind home and dove across the plate to tag out Gonzalez by inches as he tried to score from third.

In the second inning, Jose Castillo hit a solo homer for a 2-0 lead as the Pirates won for the 11th time in their last 13. Craig Wilson hit a two-out RBI double off Beckett in the first.

The Pirates added an unearned run in the third on shortstop Gonzalez’s throwing error.

With Kendall on second and Jack Wilson on first, Rob Mackowiak hit a grounder to second. Gonzalez threw wildly to first trying to turn the double play, and Kendall scored.

Notes: Florida has lost 12 of its last 17. … Jack Wilson, who leads the NL in hits, went 2-for-4 to give him 115. … The Pirates have eight homers in their last four games. … The Marlins have gone hitless in their last 28 at-bats with runners in scoring position. … The Marlins had their streak of games without an error end at six. … Florida C Mike Redman left the game in the seventh with lower back stiffness.

AP-ES-07-05-04 2206EDT