PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Scott Rolen and Joey Votto sent the Pittsburgh
Pirates to another low in their lost season.

Rolen had three hits and three RBIs, Votto had three doubles and
scored three runs and the Cincinnati Reds beat Pittsburgh 10-4
on Tuesday night, clinching the Pirates' third straight
last-place finish in the NL Central.

Pittsburgh (56-93) lost for the 21st time in 24 games, the
Pirates' worst stretch since they lost 24 of 28 from July
13-Aug. 15, 1985.

"It's very wearing, obviously," Pirates starter Zach Duke said.
"We're all desperate for a win right now and just for a
well-played ballgame."

Andrew McCutchen homered and had two RBIs and Garrett Jones and
Lastings Milledge had three hits each for Pittsburgh, which has
lost four straight, seven of eight and 12 of 14.

"It's no fun at all," Pirates manager John Russell said. "Nobody
likes to lose. But we've got to come back tomorrow, make sure we
get ready and make sure we give ourselves a chance and hopefully
this turns around. Nobody here - the staff or the players -
nobody enjoys this one bit."

Johnny Gomes and Ramon Hernandez both went 2 for 4 for the Reds,
who have won six of eight. All eight Cincinnati starting
position players had at least one hit.

Johnny Cueto (10-10) allowed two runs and nine hits in five
innings to win his second consecutive decision following a
six-game losing streak.

Cincinnati got all the scoring it would need during a five-run
fifth against Duke that included Brandon Phillips' two-run
single and RBI doubles by Votto and Rolen.

"We got a lot of two-out RBI knocks in that fifth, and that was
big because (Duke) was sailing along pretty good until then,"
Reds manager Dusty Baker said.

McCutchen led off the first with a home run for the fourth time
this season, hitting a 2-0 pitch into the seats down the
left-field line for his 12th home run.

"I settled down, definitely, came down and concentrated more
after that," Cueto said through an interpreter.

Cueto skipped his previous scheduled start because he had the
flu.

"I was happy because for three full days I was sick and not
throwing a baseball," he said.

Ronny Cedeno drove in Milledge with a double in the fourth. The
Reds added three runs in the seventh against Donnie Veal and
Chris Bootcheck when Rolen, Gomes and Juan Francisco had RBI
singles.

In his previous start at PNC Park, Duke (10-15) gave up hits to
the first eight Chicago Cubs. On Tuesday, seven of eight Reds
reached during the fifth - although one was on an error by
catcher Ryan Doumit - and the only batter he retired in that
span was Cueto on a sacrifice bunt.

Other than the five-run fifth, Duke allowed only four
baserunners in his other six innings but lost his fourth
straight decision. The Pirates have lost nine of his past 10
starts.

"There was some interesting stuff that happened there in that
inning," Duke said tersely, in a thinly veiled reference to some
poor defensive plays. "I obviously allowed the leadoff hitter,
the seven-hole hitter, to reach. I didn't make a good pitch and
kind of unraveled from there on. There were some interesting
plays, but I shouldn't have let it get as out of control as it
did."

Rolen and Jay Bruce had RBI hits in the eighth.

"We've got (11) games left in the season, we just want to do our
best to finish off strong," Votto said. "A lot of people on the
team and in the front office believe all the injuries during the
year were the reason why we played so poorly this year, and I
think if we finish off strong with a reasonably close record to
.500 that it will give us confidence going into next year."

NOTES: Hernandez was playing for the first time since July 16
after knee surgery. ... Cueto has won five of his past six
starts against the Pirates. ... For the fifth consecutive start,
Duke remained tied for his career high in victories, set in
2006. ... Pittsburgh starters have pitched at least six innings
in 10 of the past 11 games. ... RHP Eric Hacker made his major
league debut for the Pirates.