• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Arizona's Duke returns to Pittsburgh to face old mates

Jun 8, 2011 - 2:54 PM (Sports Network) - Zach Duke will make his return to the Steel City when he leads the Arizona Diamondbacks into the second test of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight at PNC Park.

Duke was acquired from the Pirates this offseason and had his worst season statistically in 2010, compiling an 8-15 record and a career-high 5.72 earned- run average over 29 starts.

The left-hander was named a National League All-Star while with Pittsburgh in 2009, when he won a career-high 11 games. He went 45-70 with a 4.54 ERA in 160 games (159 starts) over his six-year stint with the Bucs.

Duke began this season on the disabled list due to a broken hand suffered in spring training and is 1-1 with a 3.00 earned run average in two starts this season. He suffered a 6-1 setback to visiting Washington on Thursday, allowing four runs and 10 hits in five innings.

Duke won his season debut at Houston on May 28 with seven shutout innings in an 11-3 bashing of the Astros.

Arizona has lost two straight and three of its last five games, including Tuesday's 8-5 loss to Pittsburgh in this series opener, but is still 18-6 since May 14.

The D'Backs blew a 5-3 lead last night by giving up a five-spot in the bottom of the eighth inning. David Hernandez gave up all five of those runs without getting an out in relief of Daniel Hudson, who permitted three runs in seven innings.

"My game plan since little league is throw it over the plate," Hernandez said afterward. "If they hit it, they hit it. That's why we play 162 of these games."

Juan Miranda went 4-for-4 with a home run for Arizona, while Kelly Johnson also went deep and drove in three runs. Chris Young cracked a solo shot in defeat. '

Arizona, which remained one game behind San Francisco for the NL West lead, began a seven-game road trip on a poor note and will visit Florida for four games following this series.

Pittsburgh has won five of its last seven games and got a big hit from Lyle Overbay in the bottom of the eighth inning. The first baseman stroked a bases- clearing double and also scored a run for the Pirates, who improved to 3-1 on a 10-game homestand and got a pair of RBI from Chris Snyder.

"We had some great at-bats leading up to my hit," Overbay said.

Pirates reliever Chris Resop recorded the final out of the eighth to pick up the win and Joel Hanrahan turned in a scoreless ninth for his 15th save. Kevin Correia pitched the first five innings for Pittsburgh and was reached for four runs and eight hits for the no-decision.

The Pirates will also host the New York Mets for four games on this current homestand and are scheduled to send Paul Maholm to the mound Wednesday. Maholm is just 2-7 with a 3.66 earned run average in 12 starts and did not record a decision his last time out, a 9-8 Pittsburgh loss at New York on Thursday. He permitted seven runs, six of which were earned, in 5 2/3 innings just one start following a three-hit shutout at Chicago's Wrigley Field on May 28.

Maholm, a left-hander, is 1-4 in six home outings this season and 0-2 in four career starts against Arizona.

Pittsburgh and Arizona met for the first time in 2011 on Tuesday. The Pirates took four of six matchups between the teams a year ago, including a three-game sweep in the Steel City from Sept. 17-19.

The D'Backs were 6-1 in the 2009 season series.