PITTSBURGH - Ryan Vogelsong carried his strong March into April, and gave the Pittsburgh Pirates something they didn't have last season until June: a series victory at home.

Vogelsong, who forced his way into the Pirates' rotation with a breakout spring training, limited the Philadelphia Phillies to a run and six hits over seven innings in Pittsburgh's 6-2 victory Thursday night.

With former Phillies closer Jose Mesa saving both victories, the Pirates took two of three in the series; a year ago, they dropped their first seven series at home and didn't win a set until taking two of three from Montreal in mid-June.

Bobby Hill, another spring training surprise, had two hits and drove in the go-ahead run with a double in the sixth off Vicente Padilla (0-1). Raul Mondesi added a two-run homer, his first with Pittsburgh, in a three-run seventh following Jason Kendall's RBI single off reliever Roberto Hernandez.

Kendall also had an RBI single in the third, and Jack Wilson hit a solo homer in the eighth.

"I said it in spring training: I think we're going to surprise a lot of people," Mondesi said.

Vogelsong (1-0), one of the NL's top starters during spring training with a 2.05 ERA, was just as sharp - and, at times, dominating - as he was in Florida, occasionally hitting 96 mph on the radar gun while striking out seven.

He also showed he can pitch out of trouble, something he struggled to do in several previous short stints in the majors. Before this season, he was 2-7 with a 6.03 ERA in 25 games before and after having reconstructive elbow surgery in 2001.

"I wanted to stay aggressive in the (strike) zone and stay confident," Vogelsong said. "I wanted to keep doing the things I was doing in spring training."

The Phillies are carrying over what they did in spring training, where they lost 11 of their last 12 and scored two or fewer runs in eight games. They were held to eight runs in the three-game series and were 4-for-30 with runners in scoring position.

"You're not going to win a lot of games scoring one or two runs, no matter who you play," manager Larry Bowa said. "All of their starters were very impressive, but we're just not scoring runs."

Bowa suggested the Phillies are "a little anxious" and are pressing offensively, though Marlon Byrd doesn't necessarily see it that way.

"It's three games," he said. "It's early in the season, it's cold weather, we're still getting adjusted. And when their guys are throwing 94-95 mph and hitting their spots, it's tough."

A former walk-on at Kutztown (Pa.) University, Vogelsong's turnaround began with a mechanical adjustment suggested this spring by pitching coach Spin Williams. After making the change, he suddenly gained about 3 mph on his fastball, an unexpected development that improved his confidence and his results.

"Velocity-wise, it really clicked on for him this spring. He threw strikes and when you do that, you give yourself a chance," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "I don't think they really did much with his fastball."

Vogelsong, throwing strikes on 71 of his 98 pitches, made only one big mistake - hanging a breaking ball that Mike Lieberthal hit into the left-field seats on the first pitch of the fifth. Vogelsong snapped his glove angrily when he let the pitch go, but regained his composure and pitched out of jams in the sixth and seventh innings.

Vogelsong got Lieberthal to fly out harmlessly with two on and two outs in the sixth. Jimmy Rollins doubled leading off the seventh, but Vogelsong got the next three hitters, striking out pinch-hitter Ricky Ledee swinging and getting Marlon Byrd on a hard grounder to third.

Salomon Torres allowed a run in 1

innings of relief, giving up a RBI double to Byrd in the ninth. Mesa entered with runners on second and third and two outs, and got Placido Polanco to ground out to short for the save.