PITTSBURGH -- The Cardinals squandered a four-run lead and wound up with a 7-4 loss to the Pirates at PNC Park on Wednesday night.

Pittsburgh snatched up the win on Jose Bautista's two-out run-scoring single off Cards reliever Anthony Reyes in the bottom of the eighth inning. Pinch-hitter Doug Mientkiewicz upped the lead to 7-4 with a two-run single to left.

Reyes was tagged with the loss, falling to 1-1 on the campaign. He might have escaped with no damage, had he not misfired on a possible double play ball that prolonged the eighth inning. After Ryan Doumit singled to open the frame, Xavier Nady hit a ground ball back to Reyes, who threw to the second baseman -- not the shortstop. That resulted in Doumit getting to second and Nady being thrown out at first.

"I left pitches up and they hit them," Reyes said. "On the throw to second -- I turned around too quick and I didn't see anybody there and I just threw it -- thinking they would be there. I'm supposed to know the guy I'm supposed to throw it to. Who knows? I tried to make some pitches, but I just got them up."

Cards manager Tony La Russa felt the gaffe really hurt.

"That's execution in this league, and we missed," La Russa said. "I think he had a 1-6-3 double play, and then it's two outs and nobody on. We paid for it."

Right-hander Todd Wellemeyer tossed six innings and surrendered four runs on seven hits. He recorded five strikeouts and got a no-decision.

Wellemeyer was disappointed that he could not hang on to the four-run lead he was given.

"I just got some pitches up and they put together some singles and a double and got a couple runs," Wellemeyer said. " [Jason] Bay hit a good ball and I tip my hat to him. I went out there and didn't have my best stuff and I went out there and played and battled and went six and gave us a chance to win."

"I thought he did a good job," La Russa said of Wellemeyer. "We just scored four and they stopped us the rest of the game and they got some runs and they had some good at bats -- give them credit."

The Cardinals jumped on Pirates starter Ian Snell for four runs in the first inning. Third baseman Troy Glaus delivered a two-run double and second baseman Adam Kennedy stroked a two-run single.

Snell, after a rocky start, pitched six innings and allowed four runs on eight hits and received a no-decision.

"We made some contact and got some balls in the air," La Russa said. "He [Snell] is a good pitcher. He pitched well and we were trying. We just couldn't get it done."

Cardinals second baseman Kennedy thought Snell pitched well.

"He's got a great arm and he always throws well," Kennedy said. "We just happened to get a couple early [runs] and it would have been nice to keep it going, but he turned it around and threw the ball well."

The Pirates broke through against Wellemeyer in the bottom of the fourth inning. Three straight singles by Freddy Sanchez, Bay and Doumit plated Sanchez. Nady lofted a sacrifice fly to center field, driving in Bay and cutting the Cardinals lead to 4-2.

The Pirates tied the game at 4 when Bay launched a two-run homer to left field. It was Bay's fourth home run of the season.

Bucs lefty Damaso Marte picked up the win, pitching two innings in relief and upping his record to 1-0. Closer Matt Capps pitched a scoreless ninth inning to rack up his sixth save.

The Cardinals have now dropped four of their last five games.

"The key is to make the streak small," Kennedy said. "It's not too bad right now. Tomorrow it would really be big to come out and get a win."