Tuesday, Moss and his cold bat were dropped to seventh in the batting order against the St. Louis Cardinals. Rookie Robinzon Diaz moved into the No. 5 spot.

Diaz did not disappoint and ? for the first time this season ? neither did Moss.

Moss matched a career high with three hits, including a two-run homer, to pace the Pirates to a 7-1 rout of the Cardinals.

In the eighth inning, Moss capped his night by making a fine sliding catch of Khalil Greene's pop-up at the right field foul line.

Adam LaRoche and Moss homered in the fifth inning against right-hander Todd Wellemeyer (3-3). LaRoche tagged a 3-1 pitch to center field; Moss smacked the first pitch he saw over the Clemente Wall.

LaRoche had not homered since April 26, a dry spell of 12 games. Moss had not gone deep since the waning days of the Bush Administration: second inning, Sept. 2, 2008, against Cincinnati.

Moss also played a role in a four-run second inning, which erased an early 1-0 deficit. It was the Pirates' biggest single-inning splurge since May 2, a span of 81 low- or no-output innings.

With one out and Andy LaRoche at first base, Moss singled to left field ? snapping an 0-for-15 slump.

The rally stalled when Jack Wilson, in his first at-bat since coming off the disabled list, fouled out. But Zach Duke re-ignited it with an RBI single to center.

Nyjer Morgan hit a deep fly to center, just out of the reach of diving right fielder Ryan Ludwick. The ball rolled to the wall and Morgan cruised to a two-run triple.

Freddy Sanchez walked. Nate McLouth lined a single to right, scoring Morgan.

After batting just .196 with runners in scoring position over the previous 13 games, the Pirates last night went 3 for 5.

Albert Pujols gave the Cardinals a first-inning lead by launching a two-out, solo home run to center field

Pujols has more homers (21), RBI (58) and hits (97) at PNC Park than any other visiting player.