MILWAUKEE -- Jim Tracy's summation of the Pirates' 10-0 wipeout by Milwaukee last night was short and not sweet.

"Not a whole lot to say," the Pirates' manager said. "We didn't pitch very well and obviously we didn't score any runs. You're not going to win with that. It's as simple as that."

Silver linings, anyone?

	Today Game: Pirates (LHP Zach Duke, 1-2, 6.06) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (RHP Jeff Suppan, 4-2, 2.55), 7:05 p.m., Miller Park. TV, radio: FSN Pittsburgh, WPGB-FM (104.7). Key matchup: Milwaukee's J.J. Hardy is 7 for 10 with two home runs and five RBIs lifetime against Duke. On the other hand, Geoff Jenkins is 2 for 12 with seven strikeouts lifetime against Duke. Of note: Suppan in April was 4-2 in six starts and worked at least six innings each time out, including a complete game Monday against the mourning St. Louis Cardinals. Related article Pirates Notebook: Infielder Kelly trying to catch on as catcher

Well, Adam LaRoche, continuing to try to fight his way out of a monthlong offensive malaise, went 1 for 3 with a walk.

The first baseman, who didn't start Thursday night's game after watching 70 minutes of videotape and taking a ton of swings in the indoor batting cage, lined a single to center on the first pitch he saw. He then walked, popped to center and flied out to deep right-center.

"I just missed the last two," LaRoche said. "I got a little rhythm going. I was seeing the ball better. That's encouraging."

Now for the dark clouds.

Paul Maholm failed to reach the fifth inning for the second consecutive start in the Pirates' worst shutout loss since an 11-0 thumping by Arizona May 13, 2002.

Maholm allowed seven hits and three walks and three runs in 3²/₃ innings as his record fell to 1-4 and his earned run average rose to 5.51.

"I thought I had good stuff," Maholm said, "but when you walk three guys in an inning, that's going to kill you. We'll just have to figure it out."

The Pirates, who have scored in only three of their past 32 innings, managed six hits -- all singles -- and threatened just once.

That was the fourth when they trailed just 2-0.

Jason Bay's one-out single and a wild pitch on a fourth ball to LaRoche placed runners on first and second.

"To change the complexion of the game, we needed something to happen right there," Tracy said.

What happened was that Xavier Nady struck out on a 3-2 pitch and Jose Bautista looked at a third strike from Claudio Vargas, who has posted two of his three wins against the Pirates.

Maholm struggled throughout, including having what's becoming a customary rough first inning.

For the third time in his six starts, he yielded at least one run in the first inning.

Last night, Rickie Weeks, who lifetime was 1 for 10 against Maholm, opened with a ground-ball single through the middle. J.J. Hardy bounced a single to left, extending his hitting streak to 15 games.

Prince Fielder looked at a third strike, and the defense helped Maholm next. Bill Hall, who was 7 for 12 against Maholm, hit a bouncer past the mound that seemed headed for center field.

However, Jack Wilson made a fine play on the outfield grass and shoveled to Freddy Sanchez for the force at second. Sanchez's relay to first almost got Hall, who beat the play by less than a foot.

Johnny Estrada followed with a ground-ball single to center, and the Brewers led, 1-0.

A slim lead but a key lead. The Brewers are 14-3 when they score first.

Maholm yielded a two-out double to Vargas in the second inning, then allowed a leadoff home run to Hardy in the third.

The fourth inning became a mess after a leadoff single by Corey Hart.

Maholm walked Tony Graffanino on a full-count pitch. After Vargas sacrificed, Weeks walked on four pitches.

Hardy helped Maholm by striking out on a pitch in the dirt, but Maholm, in turn, aided the Brewers by walking Fielder on five pitches, forcing in a run.

Maholm left having thrown only 45 of his 75 pitches for strikes.

Marty McLeary ended that inning by striking out Hall on a 3-2 pitch, but the Pirates' hopes would soon worsen.

Estrada smoked McLeary's first pitch of the fifth inning off the front of the right-field bleachers. With one out in the sixth, singles by Weeks and Hardy brought up Fielder, who supplied the knockout punch.

The first baseman drove an elevated 1-2 fastball over the right-center field wall.

With that 7-0 lead, Vargas put the game in the arms of the Brewers' bullpen, which has helped Milwaukee go 17-0 when it leads after seven innings.

The Brewers entered play last night as the only team in the six-team National League Central above .500.

"You've read and heard a lot about people taking a shot at the division as far as [calling] it 'Comedy Central,' " Tracy said. "I thoroughly disagree with that. You look at the dynamics of our division, and there might be another way of looking at it.

"You look at the job [the Brewers] have done in the early part of the season. And I think it's very safe to say that we've continued to improve ourselves. And then you look at the players in this division and the pitchers in this division. You might want to lean more toward saying there's parity in this division."

Parity in a good way, of course.

"I think what will be interesting to see is how it plays itself out when all the clubs get outside the division and start playing against the other two divisions -- and interleague play. I think we have a very interesting division."