PITTSBURGH - Kip Wells kept his emotions - and the Atlanta Braves - in check Friday night.

Wells threw 7 scoreless innings and struck out a season-high seven to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates past Atlanta 3-1.

"I wasn't out there trying to throw a shutout. I was just trying to stay smooth in my delivery and not get excited," said Wells (4-4), who gave up six hits and earned his first win since May 8.

"I have a regular problem of getting excited and then working too fast. I just tried to stay smooth, and all my pitches worked better for me because of it."

Wells, who allowed only one baserunner to reach third base, rebounded from his worst start in three years on May 29, when he allowed nine runs - four of them earned - in 2

innings during an 11-2 loss at Cincinnati.

"After that game I could say this wasn't that important," Wells said, "but I'd be lying."

Mike Gonzalez relieved Wells after the Braves loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth. Pete Orr and Kelly Johnson hit consecutive singles with one out, and after Chipper Jones hit into a fielder's choice, Adam LaRoche drew a walk.

Gonzalez took over and got pinch-hitter Julio Franco to hit a grounder to third. Pirates third baseman Freddy Sanchez had the ball bounce off his glove before making the throw to first for the out. Atlanta manager Bobby Cox argued the call to no avail.

"It wasn't even a bang-bang play for me," Cox said. "From the dugout, everybody thought he was safe. That changed it around real quick. We can't afford missed calls right now."

The Braves have lost four of their last five games.

Jose Mesa allowed an RBI single to Pete Orr in the ninth, but still earned his 15th save in 17 chances as the Pirates won for the eighth time in their last 12 home games.

Jose Castillo's bases-loaded single off Tim Hudson (6-4) in the sixth inning gave the Pirates a 3-0 lead. With one out, Sanchez and Jason Bay hit consecutive singles and advanced on Rob Mackowiak's groundout. Daryle Ward was intentionally walked before Castillo drove in two with a single to left.

Wells didn't allow a runner to reach second base until he gave up a two-out single to Wilson Betemit in the fifth inning and then walked Hudson. Wells got Orr to ground out to end the inning.

"With the exception of the game in Cincinnati, his last five or six starts, he's been very, very good," Pittsburgh manager Lloyd McClendon said. "He didn't have dominant stuff but he pounded the zone. He really made some quality pitches when he needed to."

Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Sanchez hit a leadoff double and scored on Ward's one-out single off the right-field wall. Ward has hit safely in seven consecutive games.