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(Sports Network) - The suddenly-hot Pittsburgh Pirates are starting to cool off in this series against the St. Louis Cardinals. This afternoon, both teams will wrap up their three-game set at Busch Stadium.

After having a six-game winning streak stopped in the back end of a doubleheader versus the Atlanta Braves, the Pirates rebounded with a win over the Cardinals on Tuesday before dropping a 5-1 decision last night. Paul Maholm was touched for four runs and 11 hits in six innings of work to absorb the loss.

Nate McLouth recorded the lone RBI for the Pirates, who are 1-1 on a six-game road trip against the Cardinals and Chicago Cubs.

Pittsburgh starter Ian Snell hasn't fared too well over his past five trips to the mound, toting an 0-2 mark with three no decisions and a 4.91 earned run average.

Snell, who is 2-2 with a 4.53 ERA in eight starts this season, last pitched on Friday versus Atlanta at PNC Park. He yielded just a run and two hits through seven frames for a no decision in a game the Pirates won, 3-2.

The right-handed Dover, Delaware native squared off with St. Louis on April 23 in the Steel City, hurling six innings for a no decision in a 7-4 Pittsburgh triumph. In that game, Snell allowed a season high-tying four runs and eight hits to run his career mark versus the Cardinals to 3-3 with a 3.71 ERA in nine appearances (8 starts).

St. Louis won for the just second time in eight tries on Wednesday, as starting pitcher Todd Wellemeyer tossed seven-plus innings of one-run ball to keep the Cards one game behind the Cubs for the top spot in the NL Central. Wellemeyer allowed three walks and struck out five batters for St. Louis, which had dropped three in a row entering last night's contest.

Troy Glaus and Cesar Izturis each tallied three hits and knocked in a run to support the 15-hit attack on the Pirates. St. Louis is now 1-1 on a six-game homestand versus Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay.

The Cardinals will hand the ball to Joel Pineiro this afternoon, and he is 2-2 with a 4.05 ERA in six starts this season.

Pineiro is unbeaten over his last four trips to the hill (2-0), with consecutive no decisions. In his last start Saturday at Milwaukee, Pineiro was reached for just two runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 5-3 victory.

The right-hander defeated Pittsburgh already this season, back on April 24 at PNC Park. Pineiro surrendered just one run on four hits through seven innings of work, improving to 3-0 with a 1.74 ERA in three starts versus the Bucs.

St. Louis and Pittsburgh split two meetings in the Steel City earlier this season, while the Cardinals are 35-18 in the series since the start of the 2005 campaign.