"With these 2010 Pirates, upon the slightest sign of something positive, there inevitably follows the crash and burn.

When Pedro Alvarez hit that 10th-inning home run in early August, maybe the most uplifting moment in PNC Park's hollow history, they lost 12 of the next 13.

When management signed three elite amateur pitchers two weeks later to a franchise-record investment, the front office spent the next few days reacting to a national leak of ownership's profit margins.

And now, when the team might have put together its most thorough back-to-back victories all summer, with a chance to sweep a contending nemesis ... ka-boom!

Atlanta 9, Pirates 3.

Zach Duke lasted just an inning-plus Wednesday night, allowing eight of 11 batters to reach and giving up four runs. So much for the fine starts by Brian Burres and James McDonald in taking the first two from the Braves.

The defense reverted to standard form, including a key throwing error, and heard boos from the 13,113 on hand. So much for those sharp fundamentals.

The offense ... well, one gets the idea.

"It's kind of frustrating," shortstop Ronny Cedeno said. "I would have loved a sweep. It's still good to have two or three, but this one was tough."

Duke, now 7-13 with a 5.47 ERA, is beginning to make a case that he is the worst regular-turn starting pitcher in Major League Baseball: His losses are tied for fifth most among all pitchers with 120 or more innings, his ERA is the second highest, and his .320 opponents' batting average is the highest.

All of which might be pointing to Duke's offseason exit after five-plus years in the rotation.

Duke will be eligible for salary arbitration a third and final time this winter, and indications are powerful that management will not tender such an offer, thus casting him into free agency. He currently is making $4.3 million and, because arbitration awards raises based largely on innings, he surely would make more through that process. Another possibility: Management could approach Duke about staying at a lower guaranteed figure.

This start certainly did not help him.

Atlanta started out dinking, but those soon turned to line drives, including Brian McCann's RBI single and Alex Gonzalez's two-run double in the first.

The second inning was worse, Duke giving up a cannon-shot double by mound opponent Derek Lowe, then a single and walk.

That was when manager John Russell, in one of his hastiest hooks, took the ball. The two did not exchange a word with the exchange of the ball, and neither looked terribly pleased.

Neither sounded pleased afterward, either."