PHILADELPHIA -- Ross Ohlendorf's root-canal spring finally came to a slow, ugly halt.

One of the key variables in the Pirates' rotation labored through one last exhibition start in the 8-5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies tonight at Citizens Bank Park, needing 94 pitches to last just four innings and allowing six runs, seven hits, a towering home run by Ben Francisco, a walk and three hit batsmen.

He also was visited twice by pitching coach Ray Searage, threw to first base seven times, spent nearly 20 minutes on the mound during a 33-pitch third inning and, well, one gets the picture.

Final spring ERA: 9.82.

"My command was definitely better than it's been," Ohlendorf said, despite throwing only 55 strikes among those 94 pitches. "Even though the results were the same, I was down in the zone, threw some good pitches. I just had too many long at-bats. When I'd get ahead, I'd try to make too fine a pitch, and they'd just take it."

Another recurring problem has been a visible level of distraction with baserunners -- Ohlendorf threw to first seven times -- that has not improved.

"I think it's fine," he said. "They've got a fast team, and we wanted to keep them close."

Ohlendorf also shrugged off the broader spring numbers.

"I feel like I made some adjustments this start that really helped. I just need to continue to improve. I do feel like I threw the ball better."

Ohlendorf pitched through a nasty cold, but he dismissed that as a factor. First-pitch weather was 48 degrees with a biting wind, a far cry from 88 degrees the previous day in Fort Myers, Fla.

Andrew McCutchen went 2 for 5 to extend his 18-for-39 tear. The hits were a double off the deep fence in left-center off Philadelphia starter Roy Oswalt and an RBI single.

Neil Walker has been just as hot of late, with 12 hits in his past 20 at-bats after going 3 for 4 with a walk and RBI in this one. He shook his left hand immediately after the third hit, but there was no apparent injury.

Lyle Overbay rapped a two-run double in the first and has hit safely in 14 of his past 16 games.