(Best E Casino) - The Pittsburgh Pirates have recently become very familiar with the winning feeling. Tonight, the club will try to down the St. Louis Cardinals again in the second test of a three-game series at Busch Stadium.

After having a six-game winning streak stopped in the back end of a doubleheader versus the Atlanta Braves on Monday, the Pirates rebounded with an 8-4 victory over the Cardinals in last night's series opener. Pittsburgh scored four runs in the top of the 10th inning to snap a 4-4 tie, with Ronny Paulino stroking an RBI single and Adam LaRoche adding a three-run double off of St. Louis reliever Ron Villone.

Pirates relief pitcher Marino Salas was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis and recorded the win in his major league debut. He worked out of a bases- loaded jam in the ninth inning to keep the game tied. Starter Phil Dumatrait gave up four hits and three runs in six innings of work, fanning four batters and walking three.

Pittsburgh will also visit the Chicago Cubs for three games at Wrigley Field to close out a six-game road swing.

The Pirates hope that Paul Maholm can get back to form when he toes the rubber this evening. Maholm, who is 2-3 with a 4.79 ERA in seven starts, is 0-1 in two starts since a personal two-game winning streak.

In his most recent outing Thursday versus San Francisco, Maholm posted a no decision after giving up four runs and six hits in six innings of a 4-3 Pittsburgh triumph. He took the hill at Washington five days earlier, and was reached for seven runs and 10 hits in five frames during a 9-8 loss.

The left-handed product of Mississippi State is 1-2 with a 2.28 ERA in four career starts against the Cardinals.

St. Louis has dropped three in a row and six of seven games. In Tuesday's extra-inning setback, Albert Pujols belted a game-tying homer in the eighth inning and starter Kyle Lohse gave up five hits and four runs in seven frames.

Villone was ripped for four hits and four runs in the 10th to absorb the loss for the Cardinals, who also got a three-run homer from Troy Glaus.

The Cardinals, who are a game behind the Cubs in the NL Central, will also host the Tampa Bay Rays on their six-game homestand.

Taking the ball for the Cardinals tonight will be Todd Wellemeyer, who is 3-1 with a 3.56 ERA in eight starts this season. Wellemeyer is 1-0 in his last two starts and did not factor in the outcome of a 4-3 loss last Friday at Milwaukee's Miller Park. He gave up two unearned run in six innings.

Wellemeyer's last win came on May 4 versus the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium, when he yielded just a pair of runs in five frames of a 5-3 victory. He is 3-1 in four home starts this season.

The righty faced Pittsburgh on April 23 at PNC Park and posted a no decision. Wellemeyer was reached for four runs in six innings as the Cardinals suffered a 7-4 loss in that game. He is 1-1 with a 4.01 ERA in 13 career appearances (2 starts) against the Buccos.

St. Louis and Pittsburgh split two meetings in the Steel City earlier this season, while the Cardinals are 34-18 in the series since the start of the 2005 campaign.