The Associated Press reports Pittsburgh Pirates SP Zach Duke allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings Wednesday, July 30, to suffer his ninth loss of the season. He struck out three batters and walked two batters in the game. He is 0-5 in his last nine starts.

Zach Duke fell to 4-9 on the year on Wednesday night after being hit hard to the tune of six runs in five innings against the Rockies.Duke has now lost five straight decisions and hasn't won in nine starts. As recently as July 1st his ERA was 3.88, but after tonight's beat down it sits at 5.27.

Zach Duke was hammered for six earned runs over five innings Wednesday and the Pirates lost to the Rockies. Duke allowed five hits and walked two. Just 54 of his 95 pitches were strikes and he looked shaky in each inning he lasted. Things really blew up for him in the fifth though, as he allowed four runs, including a three-run homer to Chris Iannetta. He has now allowed 30 runs over his his last 5 starts and takes a 4-9 record into his next matchup against the Diamondbacks.

MLB.com reports Pittsburgh Pirates SP Zach Duke (4-8, 5.04 ERA) will start Wednesday, July 30, against the Colorado Rockies.

Zach Duke let up five earned runs over six innings Friday as the Pirates were defeated by the Padres. Duke drops to 4-8 with another awful outing. He managed five strikeouts, but also walked two. He's allowed 24 runs in his last four starts and there's no reason to think he'll improve against the Rockies next week.

One of the most offensively challenged teams in all of baseball, the San Diego Padres, hit Zach Duke hard on Friday, as the lefty allowed five runs on seven hits in six innings of work.Duke has now lost his last three decisions and his ERA has jumped from 3.88 to 5.04 in the month of July.

Pirates' Duke rocked by Rockeis

Pittsburgh LHP Zach Duke lasted just five innings in Pittsburgh's 11-inning win over the Cincinnati Reds, and while he failed to get a role in the decision, he certainly did what he could to keep his team in the mix. Duke pitched five innings to surrender one run over six hits with two walks and three strikeouts.Duke could have used the win, suffering two no-decisions and one loss over his last three starts coming into tonight. He hasn't allowed a home run since June 9th and has just five walks surrendered in his starts since.

Cincinnati catcher David Ross normally does not sit behind the plate when Edinson Volquez is on the mound, but that will change tonight as the Reds face Pittsburgh and LHP Zach Duke, according to MLB.com.The right-handed-hitting Ross was favored over lefty Paul Bako, as left-handed hitters are batting just .218 against Duke this season. Righties, meanwhile, are hitting .313. Ross' bat has also come alive as of late. He's hit safely in five of his last six games, including a ninth-inning double on Monday that set up Ken Griffey Jr.'s walk-off home run. Ross has raised his average from .224 to .244 since June 17.