Duke hazardous to Atlanta win streak

ATLANTA - Asked how often in his 35-plus years in major league baseball his team has had a chance to sweep a long homestand, Bobby Cox smiled knowingly and shook his head.

"Not too often," he whispered.

Cox's Braves had yet to take the field for Monday's finale of a seven-game homestand, and the manager didn't want to jinx them by saying too much too loud.

If the baseball gods didn't hear him, Pittsburgh pitcher Zach Duke did. He overpowered the Braves for eight innings while his teammates tagged Atlanta starter Tim Hudson with two home runs in a 4-1 victory over the Braves before a Turner Field matinee crowd of 25,875 fans.

"This doesn't take anything away from a great homestand," said center fielder Andrew Jones.

Atlanta (61-45) took control of the National League East in seven games against Pittsburgh and Washington. The Braves opened the homestand on July 26 tied with the Nationals for first.

They begin a six-game road trip today at Cincinnati 4 1/2 games clear of the Nationals and the rest of the division.

"That was a good, hot homestand," Cox said. "That's how you get leads."

Atlanta might have swept the Pirates if it could have gotten a lead Monday. Duke (4-0) wouldn't allow it.

The rookie midseason call-up posted the longest outing of his career, working into the ninth inning. Making just his sixth major league start, the 22-year-old left-hander allowed seven hits and one run.

The Pirates (45-61) called up Duke, a 20th-round pick in the 2001 draft, a month ago, after he went 12-3 in 16 games at Class AAA Indianapolis.

He allowed three earned runs in his first start and hadn't given up another before Monday.

"That kid, I don't know how he went in the 20th round," Cox said. "Somebody did a bad job of scouting - or a good job, whichever way you look at it."

Tim Hudson (7-6) threw 102 pitches Monday, allowing four runs on eight hits in the loss. The home runs were the first Hudson has allowed in more than a month and just his third and fourth since June 1.

"I didn't make good pitches. I didn't have very good stuff today, to be honest with you," Hudson said.

Reach Adam Van Brimmer at (404) 589-8424 or adam.vanbrimmer@morris.com.