Pirates 4, Brewers 1

MILWAUKEE – Ryan Vogelsong started for the traded Kris Benson and threw five strong innings to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates past the Milwaukee Brewers 4-1.

Vogelsong (3-7) gave up three hits and one run in his first start since June 23, when he was sent to the bullpen following a seven-game losing streak. He struck out four and walked one.

Vogelsong also doubled in a run in the Pirates’ three-run second inning.

Benson was traded to the New York Mets on Friday in a five-player deal in which the Pirates obtained infielders Ty Wigginton and Jose Bautista and pitcher Matt Peterson. Wigginton made his first start for Pittsburgh at third base and went 0-for-4.

The Pirates snapped a three-game losing streak in which they were shutout twice. They improved to 9-2 this season against Milwaukee when Jose Mesa pitched the ninth for his 30th save in 32 chances.

Victor Santos (9-6) took the loss, lasting just five innings. He gave up four runs on seven hits and struck out six in his shortest outing since June 20.

Pittsburgh scored three times in the second inning with two outs. Tike Redman singled off Santos’ glove, stole second and scored on Bobby Hill’s single. Vogelsong doubled down the left-field line for his second career RBI and he scored on Jason Kendall’s single.

Geoff Jenkins homered to left-center to lead off the fourth, cutting the Brewers’ deficit to 3-1, but the Pirates added an unearned run in the fifth. Kendall reached on a throwing error by third baseman Wes Helms and scored when Jason Bay was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

The error was Helms’ 11th in 61 games.

Vogelsong entered with a 6.69 ERA, but had done well out of the bullpen recently, giving up two runs in seven innings over five appearances.

Santos was 7-3 with a 3.06 ERA in 11 starts during June and July. He had surrendered three earned runs in his last three starts combined, the last two being losses in which he got very little offensive support.

The Pirates’ offense had struggled just as much recently.

Pittsburgh went more than 26 innings without an extra-base hit before Jack Wilson doubled in the first Saturday. Wilson was 3-for-5 with a single, double and triple.

Notes: Brewers 1B Lyle Overbay, who entered with a .324 average, snapped an 0-for-16 streak with a second-inning single. … Bautista pinch-hit for Pittsburgh and struck out. … Before the game, Pittsburgh released INF Chris Stynes, and recalled RHP Mark Corey from Triple-A Nashville.

AP-ES-07-31-04 2150EDT