CINCINNATI - Oliver Perez found the perfect next step in his comeback from early season problems - the Cincinnati Reds.

The left-hander improved to 5-0 in his last seven starts against Cincinnati, leading Pittsburgh to an 8-4 win Thursday night that snapped the Pirates' four-game losing streak.

"It was just important that we got the win," Perez said. "That was good after losing four in a row."

Daryle Ward and Matt Lawton hit home runs and Rob Mackowiak drove in three runs as the Pirates won for the seventh time in their last 10 games in Cincinnati and snapped the Reds' three-game winning streak. Eight of Pittsburgh's nine starters had at least one hit apiece by the sixth inning, including two by Perez.

Since missing two starts while working out some problems with his arm and his mechanics, Perez (3-4) has posted back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

"His stuff is still good," Pittsburgh manager Lloyd McClendon said. "His fastball was good, his slider was excellent, and his curve had a lot of bite. The only thing I saw was he didn't use his changeup enough, but little by little, he's getting back to normal. He's still building his stamina."

Perez allowed three hits and two runs with five walks and eight strikeouts in 5

innings.

"I was feeling good," Perez said. "I was a little wild, and 109 pitches is too many."

Cincinnati manager Dave Miley thought his team made things easy for Perez.

"We take a lot of strikes and then chase the bad ones," Miley said. "I don't know. We take pitches early in the count and then chase that slider."

Mackowiak gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 first-inning lead with a two-run single off Cincinnati starter Elizardo Ramirez (0-3).

Felipe Lopez got a run back in the bottom of the inning with a two-out home run, his seventh of the season and second first-inning shot in two days. He drove in another run with a fifth-inning sacrifice fly, and Joe Randa and Ryan Freel each had an RBI in the ninth.

Pittsburgh took a 5-1 lead in a span of three pitches in the third. Tike Redman and Jason Bay hit doubles on back-to-back pitches for the first run. Ward, batting behind Bay, hit Ramirez's next pitch for a two-run homer, his ninth of the season.

The Pirates loaded the bases later in the inning on Jack Wilson's double, Humberto Cota's intentional walk and Perez's bunt single, which forced Ramirez out of the game. Reliever Randy Keisler walked Matt Lawton to force in Wilson with the inning's fourth run.

The Pirates added a run on Mackowiak's bases-loaded single in the sixth and another on Lawton's solo homer off the right-field foul pole in the seventh.