Atlanta — Only one month into his major-league career, Zach Duke is pitching like a stopper for Pittsburgh.
Duke, who already had ended losing streaks of three and five games, snapped another five-game skid for the Pirates on Monday, pitching into the ninth inning of a 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
Backed by home runs from Jose Castillo and Chris Duffy, Duke ended the Braves' six-game winning streak.
Duke (4-0) outpitched Tim Hudson to become the first Pirates starter in 35 years to begin his career with a 4-0 record.
"For him to come in and do what he's done, we didn't know he was this good," Pittsburgh outfielder Jason Bay said. "Every team has a guy, a John Smoltz or whoever, that they turn to, and he seems to be that guy for us."
Braves manager Bobby Cox wasn't comparing Duke to his ace, Smoltz, but he said Duke "was tough all day long."
"That kid, I don't know how he went in the 20th round," Cox said, referring to the 2001 draft. "Somebody did a good scouting job. Or a bad scouting job. He's as good as they come. He knows what he's doing, man."
Added Braves third baseman Chipper Jones: "The Pirates got a gem."
In 391â3 innings spanning five starts, Duke has allowed only four earned runs for a 0.92 ERA. His streak of consecutive innings without allowing an earned run ended at 30 when the Braves scored in the fifth. It was the first earned run allowed by Duke since the fifth inning of his major-league debut July 2 in Milwaukee.
Pittsburgh pirates starter Zach Duke works in the fourth inning against the Atlanta Braves. Duke pitched 81â3 masterful innings, leading the Pirates to a 4-1 victory over the Braves on Monday in Atlanta.
"I'm just trying to absorb it all and take it for what it is," Duke said. "I'm not a guy who gets complacent. I'm always looking to the next start."
The 22-year-old Duke allowed an unearned run in his 8-1 victory over Colorado on July 21. He then pitched two shutout innings against Florida on July 27 but did not return following a rain delay.
The left-hander gave up seven hits and one walk in 81â3 innings Monday, the longest outing of his brief career. He struck out two, helping Pittsburgh avoid a four-game sweep.
Marlins 6, Cardinals 5
St. Louis - Career pinch-hit leader Lenny Harris had a three-run go-ahead double in the sixth inning, and Mike Lowell hit only his second road home run of the season and had three RBIs for Florida, which has won five of its last six games.
Albert Pujols hit his 29th homer, John Rodriguez had two hits and two RBIs, and So Taguchi had three hits for the Cardinals, who opened a seven-game homestand against NL East opponents. St. Louis is an NL-best 66-39 but only 7-9 against the East.
Harris' hit off Jason Marquis (9-9) was his major-league-leading 205th as a pinch-hitter.
The 40-year-old Harris is 12-for-39 (.308) in the pinch for the Marlins with seven RBIs, and has only eight at-bats as a position player.
Ismael Valdez (1-0) allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings for his first victory since Sept. 28 at Montreal.
American League
White Sox 6, Orioles 3
Baltimore - Hours after Rafael Palmeiro was suspended for violating baseball's steroid policy, the Chicago White Sox capped a miserable day for Baltimore by sending the Orioles to their 12th loss in 13 games and completing a four-game sweep.
Mark Buehrle's streak of pitching at least six innings ended at 49 games with an ejection for hitting a batter with a pitch, but the White Sox still finished off their first four-game sweep in Baltimore since 1954.
Without Palmeiro on Monday, the Orioles stranded 10 runners and completed a dismal 1-7 homestand in which they were outscored 52-31.
Dustin Hermanson, the sixth Chicago pitcher, worked the ninth for his 25th save.
Jermaine Dye snapped a 1-all tie with an RBI single off Daniel Cabrera (8-9) in the sixth.
Buehrle improved to 12-4.
Athletics 2, Twins 1
Minneapolis - Rookie Joe Blanton allowed two hits over seven innings, and Scott Hatteberg singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh as Oakland won its fifth straight.
Blanton (6-9) struck out four and walked two to get the first road victory of his career. Entering the game, Blanton was 0-6 with a 5.18 ERA in nine road starts.
Huston Street, also a rookie, pitched the ninth for his 10th save for the A's, who have won 32 of 39.
Johan Santana (10-6) gave up two runs and five hits and struck out seven in seven innings.
Dan Johnson doubled to start the seventh and scored on Hatteberg's single to give the A's the lead.
Justin Morneau of the Twins hit his 15th homer into the upper deck in right in the second to tie the game 1-1.
The Twins lost for the ninth time in 11 games.
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