BRADENTON, Fla. -- Zach Duke faced his most formidable challenge of the spring, much of Major League Baseball's finest lineup, and fared quite well in the Pirates' 7-4 victory against the Detroit Tigers this afternoon at McKechnie Field.

He allowed one run on six hits -- two of those infield singles -- and struck out five. He exited after five innings, but that was only because of a pitch count related to his two innings in a rain-shortened start Saturday.

His best work came in the second after giving up two singles and a double and facing the heart of the Detroit order. He got Gary Sheffield to hit into a forceout at home, Miguel Cabrera into a third-to-first double play.

Earlier, Cabrera was one of his strikeout victims.

"He had good command, working in and out," manager John Russell said. "It was a very nice outing for him. He's not a big strikeout guy, but he was efficient around the zone."

It was Duke's final Grapefruit League tuneup, though he will stay behind Sunday to pitch in a minor-league game at Pirate City.

His spring ERA: 3.32.

"It's been a very nice spring for Zach," Russell said.

Duke also singled in both of his plate appearances, including a two-out liner to center that brought two runs in the first inning.

That spotted the Pirates to a 5-0 lead off a shaky Dontrelle Willis, who would last only three-plus innings before Jim Leyland removed him. He walked four and hit a batter in being charged with seven runs on eight hits.

Adam LaRoche and Jose Bautista each had two hits and an RBI.

Evan Meek, the Rule 5 draft pick vying for bullpen duty, did not help his cause. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning and gave up a run in the eighth. But he did not show the control the Pirates have been seeking. He walked three, allowed two hits after falling behind, and had one strikeout.

"I was a little hyped up," Meek said. "But I feel good that I was able to get out of the jam. It could have been worse."

Damaso Marte gave up his first run of the spring in the ninth but struck out two.

The Pirates are 11-16 in Grapefruit League play.

Tomorrow, the Pirates' Tom Gorzelanny will start against the New York Yankees' Kei Igawa, 1:15 p.m. in Tampa, Fla.

More details in tomorrow's Post-Gazette.