CHICAGO -- John Russell isn't concerned about Ian Snell's inconsistency.

"I'm not worried about Ian," the Pirates manager said yesterday. "He's a fierce competitor. He'll find a way to make it work."

Snell, the Pirates' opening day starter in Atlanta, hasn't won in his past six starts.

"He's not in the right groove, the right rhythm, and I think it affects his arm slot," Russell said. "He's not in a comfort zone. You see signs of it. I think once he strings a couple [solid starts] together he'll be fine.

"He still has good stuff. He has electric stuff. He throws hard. He has a good slider. His changeup has come around pretty well. He's just not executing. He's still trying to get it all together.

"His location probably is not where he wants it to be right now. He knows he can do it. It's just like with a hitter. Once you get that confidence, you know things are going to work out for you."

Snell said yesterday he plans to tweak his mechanics between starts, motioning the right arm that needs to be higher when he releases the ball.

Sean Burnett successfully passed his first back-to-back test when he pitched Wednesday night and Thursday in St. Louis.

"Best he's thrown," Russell said of the left-hander's 1 1/3 innings Thursday. "He kept the ball down and used his off-speed [stuff] better. He was throwing hard, too.

"I think the initial call-up syndrome's gone. Now he's trying to show people that he can really throw. I think he's getting into a comfort zone. His location's gotten much better."

The Pirates' come-from-behind win in St. Louis Thursday -- they trailed, 5-1, after four innings -- marked the first time they had won in St. Louis after trailing by at least four runs since Sept. 14, 1984, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

On that night in St. Louis, the Pirates trailed, 7-2, after four innings but won in 12 innings, 8-7, on Johnny Ray's home run off Bruce Sutter. Kent Tekulve got the save.

Outfielder Jim Edmonds was one of the most disliked visiting players at Wrigley Field during his tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Now he is with the Cubs, having signed with the team Wednesday night after his release by San Diego.

Interesting situation for Edmonds.

"I'm just going to treat it like a job and go out and play hard," Edmonds told The Chicago Tribune. "Now I'm a Cub and I'm going to try to win the division and the World Series.

"It's hard to explain things that go through your head. It's not as much wearing the uniform as it is just being new and trying to make a good impression."

Edmonds went 1 for 4 in his debut with the Cubs Thursday -- against San Diego. A left-handed hitter, Edmonds likely will not start today or tomorrow because the Pirates will start left-handers.

Jack Wilson, on a rehab assignment with Class AAA Indianapolis because of a strained left calf, looked forward to the Indians' game last night. That meant he could get in some early work defensively.

"I'm a high-energy guy, and I haven't been able to do much lately," Wilson said. "The last six weeks have been pretty frustrating because I love playing baseball, and I'm passionate about being a Pirate."

The attendance of 40,537 yesterday pushed the Cubs over 1,000,000 in tickets sold this season. Their official attendance is 1,000,892 after 25 home dates. That's the fewest dates in franchise history it has taken for the Cubs to draw at least a million. The previous mark was 26.

The Pirates' fourth annual "Bowling with the Bucs" fund-raiser, which benefits Pirates Charities, has been rescheduled from May 25 to June 9. The event, which gives fans the opportunity to bowl with Pirates players and celebrities, will be held at AMF Noble Manor Lanes in Crafton from 6 to 9 p.m.