(Sports Network) - Young phenom Daniel Hudson goes for a fourth straight win today when the Arizona Diamondbacks try to avoid being swept in a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
On Saturday, Andrew McCutchen and John Bowker each hit two-run homers to help Pittsburgh to a 9-6 win. Neil Walker knocked in two runs for the Pirates, who have won two in a row since a four-game skid.
James McDonald (4-5) went five innings to get the win, allowing two runs on four hits. He also struck out six and walked four.
Ryan Church hit a three-run homer for the Diamondbacks, who have lost 11 of their past 14 games. Kelly Johnson added a solo shot in defeat.
Barry Enright (6-5) got rocked in 3 2/3 frames, giving up six runs on six hits to suffer his third straight loss. The right-hander also walked three batters and fanned one.
Arizona hopes for a better effort today from Hudson, who has won six of seven decisions since joining the Diamondbacks nine starts ago. He, of course, was acquired in a deal that sent starter Edwin Jackson to the Chicago White Sox in late July,
Hudson won his initial three stints against the New York Mets, San Diego and Milwaukee, then bounced back from a loss to the Cincinnati with additional defeats of San Francisco, Houston and the Reds.
The most recent start was a gem on Sept. 14 at Cincinnati, when Hudson allowed four hits in eight scoreless innings of Arizona's 3-1 victory.
He has posted a 1.67 earned run average in nine NL starts after recording a 6.32 ERA in three starts with the White Sox.
He has never faced the Pirates.
For Pittsburgh, lefty Zach Duke tries to shake off two consecutive bad starts.
He is 3-3 in seven career starts against Arizona, but has been hit hard in recent outings against Atlanta and the Mets, allowing 15 hits and 12 runs in 4 1/3 innings of 9-3 and 9-1 losses.
The outings have upped Duke's ERA from 5.24 to 5.78.
The Texas product's last win came Sept. 3 at home against Washington, when he went five innings and allowed four runs in an 8-5 triumph.
Arizona took two of three from the Pirates earlier in the year.