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The Pirates built up a lot of anger at the plate in the past three weeks — wasted quality starts, stranded runners and countless missed chances.

In the seventh inning Sunday afternoon at PNC Park, they unleashed those frustrations — fourteen batters, 10 runs, nine hits and, for at least one inning, an exorcised offense.

"It was certainly quite an inning," said Pirates center fielder Nate McLouth, who had two hits and three RBI in the inning. "Things went our way."

The Pirates posted one of their most prolific innings in the modern era, scoring 10 runs — including nine before they posted their first out — on their way to an 11-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

"We went through a tough stretch, and we survived it," said Pirates outfielder Eric Hinske, who drew a pinch-hit walk to start the big inning. "Hopefully, this is the turning point."

The first 11 batters reached base, and the Pirates (16-21) posted their first double-digit inning since they scored 10 on Aug. 20, 2003, in St. Louis.

McLouth finished 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBI, and Delwyn Young, Brandon Moss, Andy LaRoche and Jack Wilson each added two hits as part of a 15-hit attack.

In the seventh inning, it was a merry-go-round of offense for the Pirates, who had struggled so much in recent weeks trying to find a clutch hit. They had scored two or fewer runs in eight of their past 16 games, wasting a starting rotation that ranks among the best in the National League.

But the Pirates, out of nowhere, nearly matched their highest-scoring inning in more than a century to turn a 4-1 deficit into a laugher and earn Zach Duke (5-3) a win in front of 14,545 fans.

McLouth and Young each had two hits during the inning, while Freddy Sanchez, LaRoche, Wilson and Hinske added RBI hits, as the Rockies (14-22) went through four relievers and wasted starter Ubaldo Jimenez's quality start (six innings, one earned run, seven strikeouts).

"You don't see 10s on the board that often," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said.

Since 1900, the Pirates have enjoyed a bigger inning only twice — scoring 11 in one inning in 1992 and '42.

"It seemed like it was just a matter of time before we broke out," said Duke, who allowed four earned runs — all in the fourth — and six hits over seven innings. "Thankfully, I was able to ... stay in there long enough to see good things happen."

The Pirates caught some breaks, including four sharply hit balls to the Rockies outfield that were either misplayed or barely out of reach.

"The baseball gods were on our side this Sunday," said Young, who batted leadoff in place of Nyjer Morgan (hamstring). "Somedays, they catch them. Today, we were on the opposite end of that."

With the Pirates trailing, 4-1, Hinske, pinch-hitting for Duke, drew a walk off Rockies reliever Matt Daley to open the inning.

Then, the fun started.

Rockies left fielder Matt Murton just missed Young's bloop single into left field. The next batter, Sanchez, hit a run-scoring double that eluded diving right fielder Brad Hawpe's outstretched glove to end an 0 for 13 slump.

McLouth's two-run single off Alan Embree (1-2) the tied the score, 4-4. Adam LaRoche followed with a long drive to center that bounced out of center fielder Ryan Spilborghs' glove for an error and a 5-4 Pirates lead.

Two batters later, Andy LaRoche hit a bases-loaded, two-run double to make the score 7-4.

Consecutive RBI singles by Wilson, Hinske and Young pushed the score to 10-4 before the Pirates finally recorded their first out, as Hinske tried to reach third on Young's long single to right.

McLouth capped the scoring with a two-out, RBI double off Manny Corpas, who allowed five runs in 0.2 of an inning.

"Everything came together in that inning," Andy LaRoche said. "We were hitting it good, in perfect spots."

The rally made an unlikely winner out of Duke, who, once again, pitched well. In his three losses, Pirates batters had scored a combined three runs. This time, they backed him.

"We've had some games where we fought back to a tie," Pirates manager John Russell said. "Today, we tied the game, and instead of sitting on the tie, we got some more. That's a good thing for us."

The Pirates begin a 10-game road trip today against the Washington Nationals (11-25), who have the worst record in baseball.

Seventh heaven

Here's a by-the-numbers look at the Pirates' 10-run seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday at PNC Park:

Runs: 10

Hits: 9

Singles: 6

Doubles: 3

Walks: 2

Errors: 1

How they scored

Pirates third inning (Ubaldo Jimenez pitching): With one out, Nate McLouth homered to right (No. 7) on the first pitch. Pirates 1, Rockies 0

Rockies fourth (Zach Duke pitching): With none out, Ryan Spilborghs walked. Clint Barmes singled to center, Spilborghs to second. Troy Tulowitski flied out to left. Brad Hawpe singled to left center, Spilborghs scored. Hawpe safe at second on Robinzon Diaz's throwing error, Barmes scored. Matt Murton doubled to left, Hawpe scored. Garrett Atkins singled to shortstop, Murton to third. Yorvit Torrealba hit sacrifice fly to right, Murton scored. Rockies 4, Pirates 1

Pirates seventh (Matt Daley pitching): With none out, pinch-hitter Eric Hinske walked. Delwyn Young singled to left, Hinske to second. Freddy Sanchez doubled to right, Hinske scored, Young to third. Alan Embree relieved Daley. McLouth singled to left, Young and Sanchez scored. Adam LaRoche reached on Spilborghs' error, McLouth scored. Diaz reached on bunt single, Adam LaRoche to third. Moss walked, Diaz to second. Andy LaRoche doubled to left, Adam LaRoche and Diaz scored, Moss to third. Manny Corpas relieved Embree. Jack Wilson singled to center, Moss scored, Adam LaRoche to third. Hinske singled to right, Andy LaRoche scored, Wilson to third. Young singled to right, Wilson scored, Hinske out at third, Young to second on throw. Sanchez flied out to right. McLouth doubled to center, Young scored. Pirates 11, Rockies 4

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