(Photo Credit: Gene J. Puskar)
PNC Park – The Pirates (65 – 42) look for a rare 5-game sweep of the second place Cardinals (62 – 44) tonight as Charlie Morton (3 – 2, 3.59 ERA) faces Joe Kelly (1 – 3, 3.44 ERA).
Leading Off
Tony Sanchez will get the start at catcher tonight as Clint Hurdle is giving Russell Martin a day off to rest his sore knee. Sanchez says things have finally sunk in for him being a Pirate. “It sunk in the second day I was here when me and Vic (Black) we’re walking to dinner. Not many guys can say they’re in the majors.”
Hurdles Quotes
On participating in the rarity that is a 5-game (non-playoff) series – “We have been able to navigate without too much of an overwhelming challenge or anything that’s got us cross-cut, so knock-on-wood, we got one more game.”
On Wandy Rodriguez’s rehabbing – “We’re still in the evaluation of the long-toss program right now. We do believe there is a progression we need to go through completely to get him on the mound and we’re following that progression right now. He’s very encouraged with the improvements and the developments of the program that’s in place.” Wandy threw from 100 feet on flat ground on Wednesday and threw from 60 feet today.
Other Notes
— With a win tonight, the Pirates would record their first 5-game sweep since doing it to the Giants in San Francisco in September of 1996. It would be the first 5-game sweep in Pittsburgh since the Pirates swept the Marlins in August of 1995. The Cardinals could be swept in five for the first time since being swept out of the Polo Grounds in September of 1916.
— The Pirates bullpen has only allowed one run over the last seven games (19 1/3 innings) and brings an ERA of 2.76 into tonight’s game which is second in the National League behind Atlanta (2.56 ERA).
— Pedro Alvarez leads the National League in home runs with 27. His seven homers in July were tied for second-most in the league (Alfonso Soriano hit eight with the Cubs before being traded to the Yankees). Pedro also leads the N.L. with a 13.33 HR/ per AB ratio.
First pitch is set for 7:05 and will be televised on ROOT in the Pittsburgh viewing area and on MLB Network elsewhere.
Follow Travis for Pirates news and in-game updates on Twitter @TBerardi_OVA or @OVAthletics
