But when the Pirates completed a three-game sweep of the Florida Marlins on Wednesday afternoon with a 7-4 victory, they achieved a feat equaled by only four Pirates teams in the past 16 seasons.

"If we keep playing like this," said Adam LaRoche, "we are going to be pretty good."

In the 16 seasons since the Pirates (9-6) last finished with a winning record, they have been three games above .500 past this point in the year only four times - and only once this decade.

So, when the players talked about the team's quick start, there is a feeling of optimism, albeit guarded.

"It's early," said Paul Maholm, who improved to 3-0 despite a rare rough outing. "I'm just glad we are starting out well. It's better than being seven games under at this point. Everybody is playing with confidence. We're expecting to win."

In front of 10,655 at chilly, windy PNC Park, the Pirates improved to 5-1 in their past six games and disposed of a Marlins team that had entered the series with the best record in Baseball (11-1).

LaRoche, a career .182 hitter in March/April entering the season, finished 4-for-5 with three doubles, two runs scored and one RBI. He is batting .304.

The Pirates , who open a six-game road trip in San Diego on Friday, never trailed the Marlins in the series.

At three games over .500, the Pirates equaled the teams of 2002, 1999, 1997 and 1994, which all reached such "lofty" levels later in the season. All of them, of course, finished with a losing record.

With the score tied at 4 in the sixth inning, pinch-hitter Delwyn Young doubled to left-center for his first hit since being acquired from the Dodgers and scored on Nyjer Morgan's RBI single off Ricky Nolasco (1-2). Morgan stole third and scored on catcher Ronny Paulino's throwing error to make it 6-4.

Maholm retired the first nine batters, but finished having allowed four earned runs - twice as many as his first three starts of the season combined - on eight hits in six innings. Still, he recorded his 13th win in his past 16 decisions at PNC Park, as four Pirates relievers combined to toss three scoreless innings. Matt Capps pitched the ninth for his fifth save.

"The bullpen picked me up," said Maholm, whose ERA rose from 0.87, second-best in the NL, to 2.03. "The first three innings, I felt great. Then, I just made some bad pitches. Just stupid pitches, over the middle that shouldn't be there. But we got the win, and we go on the road feeling good."

The Pirates led 3-0 after three innings, but the Marlins scored in the fourth and fifth and, after an Andy LaRoche RBI-double in the fifth made it 4-2 Pirates , the Marlins tied it at 4-all on run-scoring hits by Paulino and Cody Ross in the sixth. But the Pirates rallied to sweep the Marlins at home for the first time in nearly five years.

The three-game sweep comes the same week the Pirates learned they will be without catcher Ryan Doumit for two months with a broken bone in his right wrist.

"If you look back, I feel like we took advantage of every mistake they made," Adam LaRoche said. "Every little thing. ... That proved that we are a pretty good team, and it's not just a fluke. When you come in and play the best team in Baseball and sweep them, that's saying something."

How they scored

Pirates first inning (Ricky Nolasco pitching)

With one out, Freddy Sanchez singled to right. Nate McLouth walked, Sanchez to second. Adam LaRoche hit a ground-rule double to left-center, Sanchez scored, McLouth to third. Pirates 1, Marlins 0

Pirates third (Nolasco pitching)

With none out, Sanchez hit by a pitch. Sanchez stole second. McLouth hit bloop single to left, Sanchez scored. Adam LaRoche singled to right, McLouth to third. Brandon Moss grounded to first, Adam LaRoche to second. Andy LaRoche hit sacrifice fly to center, McLouth scored. Pirates 3, Marlins 0

Marlins fourth (Paul Maholm pitching)

With none out, Emilio Bonifacio singled to right. Jeremy Hermida singled to right, Bonifacio to third. Hanley Ramirez grounded into double play, Hermida out at second, Bonifacio out at home, Ramirez safe at first, advanced to second on throw home. Ramirez stole third. Wes Helms doubled to left, Hermida scored. Pirates 3, Marlins 1

Marlins fifth (Maholm pitching)

With two out, Cameron Maybin doubled to center. Nolasco singled to right, Maybin scored. Pirates 3, Marlins 2

Pirates fifth (Nolasco pitching)

With two out, Adam LaRoche doubled to left. Brandon Moss was intentionally walked. Andy LaRoche doubled to left, Andy LaRoche scored, Moss to third. Pirates 4, Marlins 2

Marlins sixth (Maholm pitching)

With none out, Hermida walked. Ramirez singled to left, Hermida to second. Helms lined out to right, Hermida to third. Dan Uggla struck out. Ronny Paulino singled to center, Hermida scored, Ramirez to third. Cody Ross doubled to right, Rameriz scored, Paulino to third. Pirates 4, Marlins 4

Pirates sixth (Nolasco pitching)

With one out, pinch-hitter Delwyn Young doubled to left-center. Nyjer Morgan singled to center, Young scored, Morgan to second on throw home. Morgan stole third, Morgan scored on catcher Paulino's throwing error. Pirates 6, Marlins 4

Pirates seventh (Dan Meyer pitching)

With none out, Adam LaRoche doubled to center. Brandon Moss popped out to second, Andy LaRoche flied out to center. Jack Wilson singled to center, Adam LaRoche scored. Pirates 7, Marlins 4