Duke outduels the Doc

Zach Duke and the Pirate bullpen outdueled Roy Halladay last night in Philadelphia with a 2-1 win and gained a split of the mini-series.
Duke improved to 3-4 with the win and Octavio Dotel picked up save number eight with a three up three down ninth.
Andy LaRoche and Garrett Jones knocked in the pair of the Bucco runs.
Pittsburgh returns home to PNC Park tonight for the first of two games against the Brewers before a weekend series against the Atlanta Braves.
Bell time is 7:05 with Brian Burres against Randy Wolf....

Pirate Hooks

1) Play of the game-bases loaded one down in the fifth,Juan Castro singles to center to score one run,the Phillies send Jayson Werth to try to take the lead,but Andrew McCutchen guns Werth down at the plate for the second out.
Zach Duke then whiffs Roy Halladay for the final out keeping the game tied at one.

2) The McCutchen throw then allowed the Pirates to score the winning run on Garrett Jones sixth inning single.
Jones smacked three of the nine hits allowed by Halladay in his complete game loss....

3) Duke scattered six hits over six innings,but give extra credit to the bullpen in the win as Evan Meek,Joel Hanrahan and Octavio Dotel combined to retire nine of the ten batters that they faced.

4) Lastings Milledge crash into Carlos Ruiz in the sixth proved to be the winning run,but he should have been out.
The throw arrived to Ruiz in time,but his swipe tag went awry as the ball wasn't secured in his glove and went flying into foul territory as he attempted to tag Milledge.
Basic baseball-it doesn't matter when you have the ball,if you don't have it tucked away first....

5) Roy Halladay has to be in the conversation for best pitcher in the game even if he isn't the first choice.
The guy just never gives in on a batter,no matter the count or the score.
I am not saying he is the best pitcher in the game,but he might be the mentally toughest in baseball...

6) A little bonus coverage later today as the Indianapolis Indians and one of our favorites in Mike Crotta take on the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees on the MLB Network.
I'll try to have some words on the game later today.....

Photo Credit
Plate-H.Rumph Jr-AP Photo