Pirates surprise Halladay and Phils, 2-1

In his first three home starts as a Phillie, Roy Halladay never trailed at Citizens Bank Park. There was little reason to believe he would Tuesday, facing an anemic Pirates offense on a cold night with the wind blowing in.

So much for that.

Pittsburgh, in fourth place in the National League Central, handed Halladay his first loss at home, 2-1. Pirates starter Zack Duke, who entered with a 5.56 ERA, outdueled one of the game's best pitchers.

Halladay threw 132 pitches in the complete-game defeat. It was his second-highest pitch total in a game, his high being 133 while with Toronto on June 2, 2009.

It's not really a funk for most pitchers, but Halladay - who is expected to deliver every time out - is now winless in two straight starts. Of course, he has allowed only four earned runs over 151/3 innings, so it is less about Halladay's effort and more about his lack of offensive support.

The Phils' lineup was far from its ideal state. Without Chase Utley, who was still fighting off an illness, and Raul Ibanez, who had the night off, the Phillies started Juan Castro and Ben Francisco. Both had not started in more than two weeks.

Francisco, who had not started since April 26 in San Francisco, stranded six men on base over his three at-bats. In the sixth, with the bases loaded and Duke on the ropes, Francisco grounded out to third to end the threat.

Castro singled to score the lone Phillies' run but was removed for a pinch-hitter in the seventh.

In the ninth, Jayson Werth struck out, Ibanez pinch-hit and grounded out to first, and Carlos Ruiz flied out to left.

The offense wasted Halladay's fourth complete game of 2010.

Halladay retired the first five batters he faced with ease. But Ryan Doumit hit a flare of a double into left field and Andy LaRoche followed with a hard-hit double off the right-field wall to score Doumit.

Both hits were off 93-m.p.h. Halladay cutters.

Then, in the sixth, Halladay did something so un-Halladay-like: The Phillies had tied the game in the bottom of the fifth and their ace gave it right back in the next half-inning.

Listings Milledge led off with an infield single and advanced to second on a fielder's choice. Garrett Jones singled to right and Milledge scored just ahead of Werth's throw, which Ruiz could not handle cleanly at the plate.

Halladay's defense didn't help his pitch count. In the fifth, Placido Polanco and Castro both misplayed ground balls, turning what would have been a quick 1-2-3 inning into a 16-pitch effort.

With little room for error offensively, manager Charlie Manuel let Halladay bat with the tying run on second and one out in the seventh. He had thrown 99 pitches after seven innings and the Phillies had a rested bullpen.

Halladay struck out on a failed bunt attempt. The Phillies stranded the runner. And they never picked up their ace.