What's his WHIP?

Zach Duke is going beyond his "give up a lot of hits and hope they don't score" routine tonight. Through four and two-thirds innings, the third-year southpaw has given up eleven--ELEVEN!!--hits in falling into a 4-2 deficit, miraculously less than it could be, considering Pujols popped out with two on and none out in the first and couldn't push Eckstein home from third in the fifth (he was gunned down by the great Ryan Doumit).

The offense has pecked at Wainwright similarly, but is its usual nonclutch self, getting only one run out of bases loaded, one out in the first, none out of juiced bags in the second, and only one out of the same situation in the fourth.

And as I write this, Duke gives up a bases-loaded walk (his first unintentional of the night). So his WHIP for the evening is....2.78. Awful. Unbelievably awful. I think I'm standing with Ron Cook on the Duke right now.

But I am glad that we brought in Brian Rogers, who is actually Dave Williams, the Pirates de facto ace in 2005 (Seriously. Only a June-callup era Zach Duke was better). This is the man Dee-troit gave up to get another Mayor for the city. Rogers gives up yet another base hit but is bailed out by Jim Edmonds' poor baserunning leading to the second man thrown out at home of the game. Wainwright is practically cruising considering his early-inning struggles. But the World Series stud is not up to the task of facing Don Kelly, even with a four-run cushion. More after the game.