"Some of it really is lousy luck.

But the bottom line beneath Zach Duke's 5-12 record for the Pirates, as seen again in the 6-0 silencing by Florida Tuesday night before 14,156 at PNC Park, is that there tends to be hit after hit after hit after ...

"It's frustrating," Duke said, looking pained afterward.

The Marlins hammered out nine hits in Duke's 5 2/3 innings, including a four-run fifth that brought a 4-0 lead. Mound opponent Ricky Nolasco did the most damage, taking a .138 average and turning it into an RBI single and RBI double.

"It's hurt Zach a few times this year, getting into an inning that he just can't get out of," manager John Russell said. "He was flatter in that fifth inning, left the ball up and over the plate too often, and they took advantage of it."

Nolasco did damage with his arm, too, striking out nine in six-plus scoreless innings. The Pirates wound up striking out 11 times and mustering just six hits -- one for extra bases -- in being shut out for a 13th time.

And yet, it was not clear that any amount of offense would have helped."