PITTSBURGH – Jeff Cirillo’s unexpectedly big return to Milwaukee’s lineup guaranteed Ben Sheets wouldn’t have to worry about run support this time.

Sheets, given little offensive backing last year during a season that was much better than his 12-14 record indicated, outpitched Oliver Perez in a matchup of two of the NL’s best young starters during Milwaukee’s 9-2 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday.

Sheets watched the Brewers score one run or fewer in nine of those 14 losses, but got lots of support in his fourth consecutive opening day start from the newest Brewers regular, shortstop J.J. Hardy, and the oldest, Cirillo.

The 35-year-old Cirillo, one of the most popular players in team history while hitting .307 for Milwaukee from 1994-99, was out of baseball most of last season after being released by San Diego after 33 games. He signed a minor league contract with Milwaukee during the offseason and wasn’t certain of a spot on the 25-man roster until late in camp.

Wes Helms and Russell Branyan were expected to platoon at third, but manager Ned Yost unexpectedly started Cirillo, and was rewarded with a run-scoring double in the second and a solo homer in the fourth.

“If you had told me Feb. 11 that I would be in this position today, starting for the Brewers, I would have told you you were crazy,” Cirillo said. “This game’s been taken from me once. I didn’t think I was going to have a job.”

Hardy, known more for his defense than his offense in the minors, added a two-run single for his first career hit in a five-run Brewers sixth while becoming the first Milwaukee player since Paul Molitor in 1977 to debut on opening day.

Perez’s first opening day start following his breakthrough season a year ago for Pittsburgh – a 2.98 ERA and 239 strikeouts – was a flop as he allowed six runs and five hits, walked three and hit a batter in five-plus ineffective innings. He also threw a run-scoring wild pitch.

The left-handed Perez was lifted during the sixth, which was highlighted by Hardy’s line-drive single and Brady Clark’s two-run single, both off reliever Rick White. Shortstop Jack Wilson’s throwing error also scored a run.

So much for PNC Park being the Brewers’ toughest venue. They were 11-26 there the last four seasons and 2-6 last year, when Sheets was 1-3 against Pittsburgh.

Despite a near-perfect day – sunny skies and a high of 60 degrees, one day after a spring storm dumped snow on PNC Park – the crowd of 38,016 didn’t have much to cheer about during Sheets’ effective, if not overpowering, start.

Sheets, previously 4-7 against the Pirates, allowed eight mostly harmless hits and two runs over seven innings, striking out six and walking none. Matt Lawton went 3-for-4 in his Pirates debut and Benito Santiago tripled in his first Pittsburgh at-bat, but the rest of the lineup did little.

Notes: It was the first NL contest of the year. The Mets-Reds game in Cincinnati started a half-hour later. … White wanted to wear jersey No. 00, which he had last season in Cleveland, but he got No. 88, just as in spring training. The Pirates have never had a No. 00 in their history. … The sellout crowd was the Pirates’ largest on opening day in PNC Park’s five-year history. … Sheets is 3-0 with one no-decision during his four opening day starts. … CF Tike Redman and SS Jack Wilson were the only Pirates who were also in last year’s opening day lineup.

AP-ES-04-04-05 1646EDT