Hermansen Provides Pirate Clout

This is one comeback for which the Pittsburgh Pirates were waiting.

Chad Hermansen’s two-run homer backed Kip Wells’ effective pitching over 61/3 innings, and the Pirates rebounded from their most lopsided shutout loss in nearly seven years to defeat Arizona, 2-1, Tuesday night at Pittsburgh.

Hermansen, who rejoined the Pirates on Saturday to get another shot at winning the starting job he couldn’t keep in 2000, followed Wells’ one-out single in the third by homering into the left-field seats on a 3-and-2 fastball by Brian Anderson (0-3).

Hermansen, who batted only .193 in 74 games in three previous seasons, is five for 11 with two extra-base hits in three starts since being activated from the disabled list. One at-bat after homering, he showed his versatility by easily beating out a bunt.

“He knows what we have to have, and that’s consistency,” Manager Lloyd McClendon said. “He’s been great with the bat, a lot more aggressive and now we’ve got to keep him that way.”

Hermansen is out of minor league options and seemed on his way to another team until catching the Pirates’ eye by batting .382 with three homers in spring training.

St. Louis 11, Chicago 2--Garrett Stephenson returned to the Cardinal rotation with four solid innings at St. Louis, helping extend the Cubs’ losing streak to six games.

Stephenson pitched for the first time since April 14, when he was sidelined with a back strain.

He struck out five, walked three and gave up five hits.

Rookie Juan Cruz (0-7) gave up four runs in 32/3 innings, becoming the first Cub starter to start a season with seven losses since Mike Morgan in 1994.

No Cub starter since 1900 has started 0-8.

Houston 5, Philadelphia 1--Morgan Ensberg hit a bases-loaded triple in the eighth inning at Houston and the Astros won their third in a row.

Randy Wolf (2-2) gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings for Philadelphia.

Cincinnati 4, Milwaukee 3--Pitcher Jose Acevedo (4-1) hit a two-run double at Milwaukee, and the Reds improved to 5-0 against the Brewers.

Adam Dunn’s two-out triple began the Reds’ rally in the fourth against Ruben Quevedo (1-5).

Florida 6, Colorado 2--Derrek Lee hit a tiebreaking triple in the seventh inning and Josh Beckett gave up three hits in six innings, and the Marlins ended the Rockies’ seven-game home winning streak.

Beckett (1-2) made his first start since April 28 after a stint on the disabled list because of a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand.

San Francisco 2, Atlanta 0--Reggie Sanders hit a two-run single in the eighth inning, and Ryan Jensen gave up five hits in eight innings at San Francisco.

Jensen (4-2) won his third consecutive start for the Giants, who have won 12 of their last 15.

San Diego 5, Montreal 4--D’Angelo Jimenez’s bases-loaded, one-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the Padres.

Montreal’s Vladimir Guerrero hit a 431-foot homer into the second deck in left field in the third inning, the 34th hit there in Qualcomm Stadium’s 34-year history.

San Diego tied the score, 4-4, on Deivi Cruz’s two-run double in the seventh.