CHICAGO (AP) -- Wil Cordero might not want to leave the Windy City.

Cordero hit two homers and drove in a career-high six runs Wednesday to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates over the slumping Chicago Cubs 9-6.

	Cordero

It was his first multihomer game since April 29, 1998, when he had five RBI for the Chicago White Sox against Baltimore, and Cordero now has three homers in five at-bats.

Not bad for a player who went into Tuesday in an 0-for-15 skid but hit a solo homer in the ninth inning of that game.

"He had a big day," Cubs manager Don Baylor said. "I don't think he wants to leave town."

Said Downs, "He's a good hitter. He got some pitches over the plate and that's his hit zone."

Downs gave up seven runs and eight hits in four innings as the Cubs lost for the 12th time in 16 games, dropping to a season-worst 17 games under .500 (33-50).

"When Cordero's in a hot stretch, very seldom can they make a mistake and get away with it," Pirates manager Gene Lamont said.

Jimmy Anderson (2-5) won for the first time in nine starts, allowing four runs, three earned, five hits and three walks in five innings.

Kris Benson, Pittsburgh's scheduled starter, was scratched because he has the flu and rescheduled to pitch Saturday against Minnesota.

"You like to know when you're starting but I was excited to get a start so I can work my way back into the rotation," Anderson said.

"Jimmy threw strikes and that was the key," Lamont said. "He gave us five innings and you can't complain about that. If he pounds the strike zone, he's going to be good."

Cordero homered in the third after Adrian Brown singled and Jason Kendall walked. Pittsburgh made it 7-0 in the fourth when Cordero hit a bases-loaded single with two outs and Brian Giles followed with a two-run double.

"When you're not scoring a lot of runs, those seven runs look like 15," Baylor said.

Chicago made it 7-2 in the fourth when Jose Nieves hit an RBI triple and scored on a wild pitch.

Pittsburgh's Aramis Ramirez then connected off Rain leading off the fifth for his second homer of the season. Glenallen Hill hit an RBI triple with two outs in the bottom half and scored on a throwing error by Ramirez at third.

Cordero's 13th homer boosted the lead to 9-4 in the sixth. Chicago scored in the ninth off Mike Williams on Henry Rodriguez's sacrifice fly and Joe Girardi's RBI double.

Game notes
Anderson pitched his first 1-2-3 first inning this season and only his second in 16 career starts. He got Eric Young, Ricky Gutierrez and Mark Grace to all ground out in the first. ... Downs has failed to pitch beyond the fourth inning in three of his last four starts. ... Hill's triple was his first since April 29, 1999 -- his only triple last year. ... Adrian Brown, activated from the disabled list Tuesday, went 3-for-3 but left in the bottom of the fourth. He fell trying to catch Nieves' triple and had muscle spasms in his left hamstring.