The Pirates have switched starting pitchers for Thursday night's finale of a three-game series at Cincinnati because of a callus on the middle finger of left-hander Zach Duke's pitching hand.
Left-hander Phil Dumatrait will start against the Reds. Duke, meanwhile, will be pushed back a day and pitch Friday night at St. Louis in the opener of a four-game series against the Cardinals. Duke has pitched with the callus in his last two starts and the Pirates are hoping that the extra rest will allow it to heal. Duke will have six days off between starts instead of the normal four.
Duke is 0-1 with a 6.97 ERA in his last two starts, giving up seven runs in 10 1/3 innings.
"He probably could have made his start (Thursday) but we want the callus to quit splitting on him," Pirates manager John Russell said. "Hopefully, it will finally go away and no longer be a problem."
Dumatrait will pitch on a normal four days of rest as he started last Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.
REDS 9, PIRATES 1: Left-hander Tom Gorzelanny retired just two of the eight batters he faced and gave up six runs in the shortest of his 54 career starts as the Pirates lost their second straight to Cincinnati. Gorzelanny threw 18 of 38 pitches for strikes as his night ended when he served up a two-run home run to David Ross.
The Pirates were limited to three hits by Bronson Arroyo and three relievers.
