PITTSBURGH (AP) The Pittsburgh Pirates have waited patiently for nearly two years for third baseman Pedro Alvarez to showcase all the tools that made him the second overall pick of the 2008 draft.

Their patience might finally be paying off. Following a horrific start, Alvarez’s bat is showing signs of life. He hit homers in both games of a doubleheader split with Colorado on Wednesday to raise his batting average from an anemic .108 to .156.

Alvarez’s four homers this season lead the team, and all but one of his seven hits have knocked in a run. Perhaps just as impressive is the way he’s attacking left-handed pitchers.

Alvarez doubled off Colorado lefty Rex Brothers in the second game on Thursday and manager Clint Hurdle says Alvarez is slowly gaining confidence.

The Pirates open a three-game series in Atlanta on Friday.

Chris Young is off to another strong start, and there’s good reason to believe he can keep it going against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Young has keyed the Arizona Diamondbacks’ best start in four years heading into the opener of a 10-game homestand Monday night against the Pirates.

Having a hot bat out of the gate is nothing new for Young. He hit .302 with three homers and 10 RBIs through the first 10 games of 2011, a year after batting .351 with three homers and 14 RBIs after nine games.

He’s hit safely in eight of nine this season, batting .364 with six walks, and the Diamondbacks have won all four times he’s homered. He has 11 RBIs and has stolen a base in each of the last two games.

Young homered and drove in three runs Sunday in a 5-2 win at Colorado. Arizona (6-3), off to its best start since opening 9-2 in 2008, salvaged the series finale after blowing leads in the first two games and losing each by one run.

“We’re happy to get out of here with a win,” manager Kirk Gibson told the Diamondbacks’ official website. “We could have won more than the one game but we didn’t.”

Gibson hopes his team keeps up its winning ways at home, having gone 26-4 there since Aug. 8 – including two NL division series victories against Milwaukee. Arizona’s homestand also includes four games against Atlanta and three with Philadelphia.

First up is a three-game set with the Pirates, who have been battered by Young. He’s hit .365 with five homers and 16 RBIs in his last 16 games against them, including 8 for 22 with two home runs last season.

His center field counterpart also is off to a good start – Andrew McCutchen is hitting .333 – but right fielder Jose Tabata is 4 for 30 and the Pirates are batting .188 as a team.

Pittsburgh (3-6) snapped a five-game losing streak with a 4-1 win in San Francisco on Sunday as Garrett Jones hit his first home run.

“We just wanted to win a game,” manager Clint Hurdle said after his team’s first victory away from home. “This just happened to come on the road.”

The Pirates are averaging 2.0 runs, a trend that already has plagued Erik Bedard (0-2, 2.25 ERA) entering his third start as a National Leaguer. The 10-year veteran left-hander lost the first two as Pittsburgh’s lineup totaled one run.

Bedard allowed three runs over 12 innings, striking out seven and walking two.

“He competes and he never gives in,” catcher Rod Barajas said. “He believes in himself and that makes it easier for me to call the game, because I know I can put down whatever signs and he’s comfortable throwing it.”

Bedard, 8-5 with a 1.86 ERA in 20 career starts versus NL clubs, did not get a decision in his only outing versus Arizona in 2007.

That’s also the only year in which Joe Saunders (0-0, 0.00) pitched against the Pirates heading into his start Monday.

Saunders threw seven scoreless innings in a 2-1 loss at San Diego on Wednesday, his season debut. The lack of offensive help should be familiar to the left-hander, who went 3-6 in 15 regular-season home starts last year while getting no more than two runs of support in 11 of them.

These teams split six games last season. The Pirates have lost 14 of 19 in Arizona, last winning a series there in 2005.

Miguel Montero, who has homered in his last two games, hit .389 against Pittsburgh in 2011.

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP)—Brian Matusz had a forgettable 2011. His 2012 started
shaky, too.

Matusz allowed three runs in two innings in his spring debut, and a
split-squad of Baltimore Orioles lost 10-3 to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday
night.

The 25-year-old left-hander was 1-9 with a 10.69 ERA last season. He lost
his last nine decisions, and his ERA was the highest-ever for a pitcher making
at least 10 starts.

Matusz yielded six hits, but allowed just one very hard-hit ball—an RBI
double by Josh Harrison in the first. He struck out three and walked none.

“The Pirates executed really well and took advantage of the mistakes I made
and put the ball in play,” Matusz said.

“But, overall I felt like I attacked the zone really well and stuck to my
game plan.”

Matusz did strike out three batters—all looking,

“It was nice to get those strikeouts, being able to locate the fastball and
paint it on the outside corner right where I wanted it.”

Baltimore manager Buck Showalter knows about the offseason work Matusz has
done with former Orioles outfielder Brady Anderson, who’s now a team executive.
Anderson threw out the first pitch for the team’s home opener. Right after that,
Matusz’s evening went downhill.

“He’s given himself a chance to be good,” Showalter said.

Matt Hague hit a two-run homer in the third inning and finished with three
RBIs for the Pirates, who had 18 hits. Hague, Alex Presley and Starling Marte
each had three hits.

It was the first win for Pittsburgh in three games.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle watched his team manufacture runs with
aggressive baserunning and four infield hits. Fourteen of their hits were
singles.

“Speed has got a place for us. We’ve got to find different ways to score,”
Hurdle said.

“Our guys know the importance of getting down the line. You put a ball in
play—and good things will happen.”

Kevin Gregg allowed Hague’s home run, and Matt Lindstrom gave up three runs
— two earned in his first outing for Baltimore since being acquired last month
from Colorado.

“It’s not really the impression you’d like to leave on your new team,”
Lindstrom said.

Pittsburgh starter Jo-Jo Reyes gave up an unearned run and three hits in 1
2-3 innings.

Notes: The Pirates are closing in on a six-year, $51.5 million deal with CF
Andrew McCutchen. He’s expected to sign the contract on Tuesday. McCutchen did
not travel with the team. … Orioles minor league INF/OF Travis Adair was hit
on the side of the head during batting practice of Baltimore’s split-squad game
on Monday afternoon in Tampa Bay. Adair, the son of Orioles pitching coach Rick
Adair was taken for a CT scan. Rick Adair said his 24-year-old son was fine, but
he did have a concussion when he was 19. … Baltimore OF Nolan Reimold batted
leadoff. … Orioles RHP Jason Berken (hamstring) is improving, and hopes to
throw off a mound soon. … Harrison was in the lineup after being scratched
from Sunday’s game when he was hit on the elbow with a pitch. … The Pirates
are scheduled to face left-handed starters in four consecutive games. …
Showalter managed both games of the split-squad doubleheader.

PITTSBURGH (93-7 THE FAN) — Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster Steve Blass joined The Fan Morning Show Friday to tell us about the 5th Annual Pittsburgh Rotary Club “Chuck Tanner Major League Baseball” Manager of the Year Awards Banquet.

He and the guys chat about the influence a manager can have on a team.

Blass also grades current Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle, and talks about the expectations for next season.

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have declined options on pitcher Paul Maholm, catchers Ryan Doumit and Chris Snyder and shortstop Ronny Cedeno.

The move allows each player to become a free agent.

Maholm was due $9.75 million in salary next season. The 29-year-old lefthander is 53-73 in seven seasons with the Pirates. He went 6-14 with a 3.66 ERA in 2011 and ended the season on the disabled list with arm trouble.

Doumit and Snyder battled injuries last season. Snyder hit .271 in 34 before going out with back problems while Doumit hit .303 with 30 RBIs in 77 games but missed all of June and July with a leg injury.

Cedeno hit .249 in 2011 but consistently found himself in manager Clint Hurdle’s doghouse due to mental lapses.

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have declined options on pitcher Paul Maholm, catchers Ryan Doumit and Chris Snyder and shortstop Ronny Cedeno.

The move allows each player to become a free agent.

Maholm was due $9.75 million in salary next season. The 29-year-old lefthander is 53-73 in seven seasons with the Pirates. He went 6-14 with a 3.66 ERA in 2011 and ended the season on the disabled list with arm trouble.

Doumit and Snyder battled injuries last season. Snyder hit .271 in 34 before going out with back problems while Doumit hit .303 with 30 RBI in 77 games but missed all of June and July with a leg injury.

Cedeno hit .249 in 2011 but consistently found himself in manager Clint Hurdle’s doghouse due to mental lapses.

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have declined options on pitcher Paul Maholm, catchers Ryan Doumit and Chris Snyder and shortstop Ronny Cedeno.

The move allows each player to become a free agent.

Maholm was due $9.75 million in salary next season. The 29-year-old lefthander is 53-73 in seven seasons with the Pirates. He went 6-14 with a 3.66 ERA in 2011 and ended the season on the disabled list with arm trouble.

Doumit and Snyder battled injuries last season. Snyder hit .271 in 34 before going out with back problems while Doumit hit .303 with 30 RBIs in 77 games but missed all of June and July with a leg injury.

Cedeno hit .249 in 2011 but consistently found himself in manager Clint Hurdle’s doghouse due to mental lapses.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates activated left fielder Jose Tabata from the disabled list on Tuesday and optioned slumping third baseman Pedro Alvarez to Triple-A Indianapolis for the second time this season.

Tabata had been out since June 27 with a strained left quadriceps. He played in 13 minor-league rehab games with Class A Bradenton and Indianapolis, hitting a combined .293 with six doubles.

Tabata was in the lineup Tuesday night and batting leadoff against St. Louis. Tabata was hitting .265 with three home runs, 15 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 71 games when he was hurt in a game against Boston as he beat out an infield single.

“I’m excited to be back and a little nervous, too,” Tabata said. “It’s been a long time. It kind of feels like opening day again.”

Alvarez has hit .196 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 56 games in two stints with the Pirates. He won the National League rookie of the month award last September.

“We still believe in Pedro and that he will be a big part of what we’re doing here,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “I told him to go down, embrace it as a challenge and swing the bat with bad intentions.”

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

PITTSBURGH (AP)—The Pittsburgh Pirates activated left fielder Jose Tabata(notes)
from the disabled list on Tuesday and optioned slumping third baseman Pedro
Alvarez(notes) to Triple-A Indianapolis for the second time this season.

Tabata had been out since June 27 with a strained left quadriceps. He played
in 13 minor-league rehab games with Class A Bradenton and Indianapolis, hitting
a combined .293 with six doubles.

Tabata was in the lineup Tuesday night and batting leadoff against St.
Louis. Tabata was hitting .265 with three home runs, 15 RBIs and 14 stolen bases
in 71 games when he was hurt in a game against Boston as he beat out an infield
single.

“I’m excited to be back and a little nervous, too,” Tabata said. “It’s
been a long time. It kind of feels like opening day again.”

Alvarez has hit .196 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 56 games in two
stints with the Pirates. He won the National League rookie of the month award
last September.

“We still believe in Pedro and that he will be a big part of what we’re
doing here,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “I told him to go down,
embrace it as a challenge and swing the bat with bad intentions.”

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates activated slugging third baseman Pedro Alvarez from the disabled list on Saturday and immediately optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Alvarez, the 2008 No. 2 overall draft pick who was in his first full major league season, had been on the disabled list since May 20 with a right quadriceps strain.

“Pedro remains a big part of our future,” general manager Neal Huntington said, “but we believe making this move is the best way to get him back on track offensively and defensively so that he can help us win games at the major league level.”

Alvarez was hitting .208 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in 36 games this season after hitting 16 home runs in 347 at-bats as a rookie last season.

The 24-year-old Alvarez had 11 strikeouts and two extra-base hits (both doubles) in 33 at bats over 11 games with Class A Bradenton and Indianapolis as part of his rehabilitation assignment.

Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said the organization wanted to take the pressure of returning to the majors off of Alvarez and have him focus solely on improving.

“We needed a volume of at-bats strung together that has noting to do with home runs, OPS, slugging percentage,” Hurdle said. “Where (Alvarez is) squaring the ball up hard and hitting it where it’s pitched. That’s what we want (him) to focus on.”

Brandon Wood and rookies Josh Harrison and Chase d’Arnaud have been splitting the playing time at third base with Alvarez out.

Alvarez has been one of the centerpieces of the Pirates’ latest rebuilding effort. Mired in a string of 18 consecutive losing seasons and coming off 105 losses last season, Pittsburgh (46-42) has had its best pre-All-star break record since 1992.

But it’s been mostly pitching that has the Pirates within a game of first place as play began Saturday. The team ranks 12th in the National League in runs, 13th in home runs and 15th in slugging percentage. Alvarez is one of the few pure power hitters in the organization.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Read More: Ryan Doumit (C – PIT), Ronny Cedeno (SS – PIT), Joe Beimel (P – PIT), Jose Tabata (LF – PIT), Pedro Alvarez (3B – PIT), Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington, manager Clint Hurdle and others were in a meeting Wednesday that dealt with how to approach the MLB trade deadline which comes at the end of the month. One point they discussed was the potential impact of players who are returning from injury. 

Part of the time was devoted to identifying when various players should be ready to come off the disabled list and determining how those moves would affect the current roster. With as many as eight injured players potentially being ready to return over the next month, the Pirates might be able to fill particular areas of need internally.

The Pirates are right to note that some of their biggest improvements could come from within, as players like Pedro Alvarez get back from the disabled list. It’s strange – it seems like all Pirates fans have talked about recently are winning, and injuries.

The fact that so many players will be returning fairly soon (Alvarez, Jose Tabata, Ronny Cedeno, perhaps Ryan Doumit and Joe Beimel) suggests that the Pirates are unlikely to make splashy moves at the deadline. They might not have done it anyway, despite the fact that they’re surprise contenders this year, because they don’t want to mortgage their future. But it seems particularly unlikely if they feel like they can improve from within.

In an attempt to deflect criticism for some his selections on the National League All-Star team, San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy questioned Pirates’ skipper Clint Hurdle and Florida Marlins’ counterpart Jack McKeon for their reluctance to lobby on behalf of their own players.

“I don’t think lobbying is part of what you do in that position,” Hurdle responded this afternoon. “He earned that opportunity. Their organization earned that opportunity by winning the National League championship.”

The two have known each other since they were teenagers.

“There’s disappointment on both sides,” Hurdle said. “I love Boch. I have the most professional respect for Boch. He’s a better manager than I’ll ever be. My feelings came from the heart, and if he felt disrespect or hurtful, then I’ll apologize for that. That doesn’t change my feelings.”

Save your sorries, I say. They’re not necessary.

Bochy flat out abused his privileges as the National League manager, and anyone with a fair bone in his body knows it.

Based on performance and resume, the Giants deserved two pitchers on the staff—Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson—not the four who were picked instead. That would have allowed for the inclusion of Kevin Correia and the Florida Marlins’ Anibal Sanchez, who should be in Phoenix next week.

One or both may get there by default as replacement players. Cain and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels are scheduled to start on Sunday afternoon, which would take them out of All-Star game consideration. According to the players’ vote, Correia is the next starter in line.

While Bochy is correct to say that Andrew McCutchen has elevated his game in recent weeks, those numbers still count. At the very least, the center fielder should be one of the five candidates for the final roster spot, which will be determined in an Internet vote.

This is an ideal time for Bud Selig to step in, invoke his good-of-the-game powers and right some wrongs, not only as they concern the Pirates but other teams. At the very least, the commish should conduct a thorough review of the selection process in order to prevent this kind of blatant bias in the future.

For the record, in 2008, when Hurdle was the National League manager, two of his fourth-place Colorado Rockies were on the team. Outfielder Matt Holliday got there in a vote by the fans, while Hurdle chose 11-game-winner Aaron Cook on his own.

Nice to know that there’s at least one manager who won’t allow his ego to get in the way of what should be a showcase event for all of baseball, not a few chosen teams.

Follow me on Twitter @PaulLadewski

(For complete Pirates coverage, see Piratesreport.com.)