PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates, having descended to their customary submerged spot of sixth place in the National League Central Division after eight consecutive losses, needed a win. The Cardinals, who already had dropped five of their last eight, lost twice Tuesday night.

Not only did the Cardinals drop a 7-1 decision to the Pirates, but they almost certainly have lost right fielder and cleanup man Ryan Ludwick for a period of time, probably even the disabled list, because of a right hamstring strain. He was hurt when giving futile chase to Nyjer Morgan's fly ball, which went for a two-run triple in the second inning.

Manager Tony La Russa was on the telephone to general manager John Mozeliak, who was in Memphis, to report the dire news and perhaps seek another outfielder for immediate use. Center fielder Rick Ankiel already is on the DL with assorted bruises after banging into a wall last week.

La Russa said, "Barry (head athletic trainer Barry Weinberg) says there's a real sore spot there, so I wouldn't anticipate the news being too good.

"We're running a little dry out there ... but there's always players. We'll put a lineup on the field tomorrow. But he's a really important guy."

Ludwick, not believing the injury to be that serious, said, "It just kind of locked up on me. It could be worse."

Both Todd Wellemeyer of the Cardinals and Pirates lefthander Zach Duke were facing their opponents for the second time in less than a week and for the third time in a month. Duke didn't have any trouble adjusting, if he had to, holding the Cardinals to four hits and one run for eight innings.

Wellemeyer tried to do the same things he had done with Pittsburgh last week when he limited the Pirates to two runs in seven innings. But the Pirates may have changed.

"They were aggressive inside," said Wellemeyer, who gave up two homers in about five minutes in the fifth inning after allowing four in his first 40 innings this season.

"I watched (Wellemeyer) in the first inning and I was really excited," La Russa said. "I thought he had good stuff. It looked like he was really firing, ready to go. The only thing you ever say to a guy who's struggled early (as Wellemeyer has) is you've got to get all your pitches ready for the first inning. If you've got three or four pitches, get them all ready so you can go to work right away."

Wellemeyer said, "I felt pretty decent all game, actually. There were some things that got away from me, as far as getting ahead of guys. I'll just learn from it."

The Cardinals' only run came off the bat of Albert Pujols, who had been four for six with a home run against Duke this season and 14 for 28 off Duke with two homers in his career. He pounded a 3-1 Duke pitch off the center-field backdrop some 427 feet away in the first inning for his National League-leading 13th homer of the season.

The home run also was the 21st for Pujols at PNC Park in just 63 games. He has 58 runs batted in and is hitting .383. At 21 homers, Pujols has eight more than anybody who hasn't played for the Pirates. Houston's Lance Berkman is second with 13 and former Cardinal Jim Edmonds, in effect, retired, is next with 11.

The fact that the teams already have met seven times this season may be increasing the tension. After Pujols and Ludwick were hit on back-to-back plate appearances last week in St. Louis, Duke hit both Yadier Molina and Colby Rasmus on Tuesday night, while the Cardinals hit Andy LaRoche and Wellemeyer just missed Freddy Sanchez, drawing a warning from home-plate umpire Randy Marsh, the crew chief, who then didn't kick anybody out when two more hitters were plunked.

La Russa, who had raised an issue with Marsh as the sides changed in the sixth, said he didn't think anybody should have been ejected.

"The whole point is that you don't do anything unless you think it's intentional," La Russa said. "He didn't think it was intentional and I agree with him."

La Russa then launched into a brief diatribe about how too much has been made of Pujols' success against the Pirates both here and at Busch Stadium

"I'll tell you what we should do — just like we did in St. Louis," La Russa said. "We should make sure (the Pirates) read it every inning ... maybe they'll hit him another 20 times this year.

"That story has already been told — that he hits Pittsburgh well. I don't agree with it. You're putting a target on somebody's back — if somebody's gutless enough to take that shot. You can say anything you want to, but I've got nothing to say about it, other than what I just said.

"It just raises the red cape. That's stupid. It's unnecessary for the entertainment value at the ballpark."