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(Sports Network) - Lefty Zach Duke seeks his first win in seven starts tonight when the Pittsburgh Pirates host the San Francisco Giants in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park.

Duke, a 25-year-old Texan, has lost twice and gotten four no-decisions in six starts so far in 2008, allowing 48 hits and 19 earned runs in 35 2/3 innings.

He was solid in his last outing, however, being touched for just five hits and two runs in seven innings of the Pirates' 3-2 loss at Washington on May 1.

Lifetime against the Giants, he is 0-1 in three starts with a 6.28 earned run average in 14 1/3 innings.

For San Francisco, southpaw Jonathan Sanchez looks to extend an unbeaten streak to six starts. The 25-year-old dropped a 13-4 verdict at Milwaukee in his first appearance of the season, but has since picked up a pair of wins and three no-decisions in five outings.

He's pitched at least five innings in each of those starts, all of which have been won by the Giants.

Sanchez has made two career relief appearances against Pittsburgh, allowing four hits and four runs in one complete inning of work.

On Sunday in Philadelphia, Eugenio Velez's error on Geoff Jenkins' grounder in the bottom of the ninth allowed Ryan Howard to score and lifted the Phillies to a 5-4 win over San Francisco.

Rich Aurilia went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a home run, and three RBI for the Giants, who made three errors en route to losing the rubber match of this three-game set.

San Francisco starter Tim Lincecum allowed four runs on six hits in six innings, but none were earned. The Giants staff was charged with just one earned run, and Keiichi Yabu (2-2) took the loss.

In Washington, Tim Redding was solid on the mound, as the Nationals downed the Pirates, 5-2, in the finale of a four-game set at Nationals Park.

Ian Snell (2-2) was charged with four runs on 10 hits in six-plus innings for the Pirates, who have dropped two straight and three of their last four contests overall.

Adam LaRoche homered, doubled and knocked in both runs, while Xavier Nady was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Pittsburgh won four of six from the Giants last season and is 10-3 against them since the start of last season.