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Duke fares better, but Bucs still fall

BRADENTON, Fla. — Pirates starter Zach Duke allowed one run and two hits in 3X\c innings, giving up John Mayberry Jr.'s sacrifice fly in the fourth as Philadelphia won 5-1 Monday.

Duke entered with a 7.71 ERA from his first two exhibition starts.

Philadelphia took a 4-1 lead in the fifth off Evan Meek on an RBI double by Wilson Valdez and RBI singles by Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth. Cody Ransom homered against Jeremy Powell in the seventh.

Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco sprained his right knee while trying to catch Delwyn Young's pop single that landed just behind the mound in the second inning.

Polanco's right foot came down hard on the mound as he lost the ball in the sun, and he fell to the ground. Two trainers helped him off the field.

Polanco was examined by the Pirates medical staff, which told him there was a sprain in the back of the knee as well as a slight hyperextension of the upper calf. Polanco said he could return by the end of the week.

"I don't think it's too bad," Polanco said. "When it first happens, you really get scared. You don't know what's happening. It doesn't feel right. But now that the doctor took a look at it, it's nothing big at all."

Philadelphia ace Roy Halladay gave up his first run in three spring training starts, striking out six and allowing three hits in five innings. when Pittsburgh went ahead 1-0 in the second inning on Ryan Doumit's double and Lastings Milledge's RBI single.

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