By Eric Stephen

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Sep 1, 2011 – The Los Angeles Dodgers open a four-city, 11-game road trip on Thursday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a makeup game that is more an inconvenience than anything else, for both teams. The Dodgers originally had a 10-game road trip scheduled through three cities: Atlanta, Washington DC, and San Francisco — but added this game after having their May 12 game in Pittsburgh rained out.

The Dodgers have a stretch of games on 24 straight days, which had to be approved by the MLB Players Association. But the Pirates are inconvenienced too, as today was a scheduled off day for them as well. In fact, they are in the middle of their own 10-game road trip, as they finished a series in Houston Wednesday night and travel to Chicago to battle the Cubs starting Friday.

Dana Eveland, whose last major league game was on June 23, 2010 while with the Pirates, will be promoted by the Dodgers today to start the game. Eveland was an All-Star in the Pacific Coast League this season, going 12-8 with a 4.38 ERA with the Triple A Albuquerque Isotopes.

Brad Lincoln, who made 19 Triple A starts of his own this season, gets the start for the Pirates. Lincoln is 1-0 with a 3.42 ERA this season in Pittsburgh in seven games, including three starts. In each of his three starts for the Pirates this season, Lincoln has pitched six innings and allowed two runs or less.

Thursday’s 1:10 p.m. PDT game will be televised by KCAL. For more news and information on the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA.

Read More: Dana Eveland (P – LOS), Brad Lincoln (P – PIT), Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Dodgers at Pittsburgh Pirates, Sep 1, 2011 1:05 PM PDT

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Dontrelle Willis is healthy and satisfied with the way he’s pitching, even if he isn’t earning any wins.

Willis remained winless in eight starts this season, allowing three runs on eight hits in six innings, and the Cincinnati Reds lost 5-3 to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

Willis remained 0-3 since his promotion from Triple-A Louisville July 10, but he holds a respectable 4.14 ERA and had allowed more than three runs in an outing only once.

“A lot of things dictate wins and losses,” Willis said. “I like the way I’m throwing the ball. I like the way I’m competing and I like the way the guys are competing for me. It’s just a matter of pitch there or one thing there that seems to make the difference in every game.”

Charlie Morton didn’t have his best stuff, but he continued his mastery of Cincinnati with six effective innings. Morton’s ERA is at 0.93 ERA in 29 innings against the Reds this season.

Neil Walker had two RBI singles, the second driving in Andrew McCutchen with the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, and McCutchen and Ryan Ludwick each had two hits for the Pirates, who have won three of five.

Willis left his previous start on Sunday in the third inning due to soreness in his left forearm. An MRI the next day did not reveal any issues, clearing Willis to start on Saturday.

“We were trying to get him that first victory, big-time,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “We stuck with him a long time.”

Walker’s hit off Aroldis Chapman (2-1) was his third hit of the game, and Brandon Wood followed with an RBI double, allowing Pittsburgh to improve to 8-3 against the Reds this season.

“They kind of bled Chapman there,” Baker said of the Pirates. “They got a couple of soft hits, especially the little blooper to right (by Walker).”

Joey Votto twice drove in Brandon Phillips with RBI singles for the Reds, who have lost four of six. Phillips reached base four times.

Recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier in the day, rookie Tony Watson (1-2) won his first major league game by getting the final two outs of the top of the seventh after the Reds had tied it at 3 against Chris Resop.

“He gave us what we needed in a tight spot, definitely,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said of Watson, who woke up at 6 this morning and drove five hours to Pittsburgh.

“A day I’ll never forget,” Watson said.

Pittsburgh’s Jose Veras pitched a scoreless eighth — striking out Drew Stubbs and Dave Sappelt after allowing the first two batters of the inning to reach. A day after allowing a season-high three runs in taking the loss, Joel Hanrahan worked a perfect the ninth for his 31st save but first since July 28.

Morton had a scoreless innings streak of 24 snapped in the final inning of his most recent outing on Sunday when Hanrahan allowed an inherited runner to score.

Morton allowed a run for the second consecutive inning when Phillips led off Saturday’s game with a single, moved to second on a groundout and came home when Votto singled to right.

But Morton faced only one over the minimum over the next 4 2-3 innings before Phillips and Votto each singled again to produce a run in the sixth. Morton was charged with two runs on seven hits, a walk and two strikeouts. He has allowed three runs in four starts versus the Reds this season.

“Successes breeds confidence,” Hurdle said. “He went out there against that team today with far from his best stuff, but delivered a very gutsy performance, a very gritty performance and held them to two runs in six innings.

“He seems to enjoy the challenge of facing that offense,” Hurdle said. “It’s a very good offense.”

RBI singles by Ronny Cedeno in the fourth and Ryan Ludwick and Walker — consecutively in the fifth — gave Pittsburgh the lead, and Morton was in line to improve to 4-0 against Cincinnati this season after he was lifted following six innings.

But the Reds quickly tied the game against Resop when Ramon Hernandez doubled in Stubbs.

NOTES: Willis went 0 for 2, snapping his six-game hitting streak. He had a hit in every game in which he had an at-bat this season. … Not counting the 2006 All-Star game, the game was the first televised by Fox at PNC Park since 2004. … The crowd of 37,826 was Pittsburgh’s 16th sellout of the season, most since 2001. It was the eighth consecutive Saturday sellout there. … Reds Sunday starter Mike Leake has allowed only seven earned runs in five career starts against Pittsburgh. No current Pirates players have homered off of him. … The previous time Pirates RHP James McDonald faced Cincinnati on July 19, he pitched into the seventh and was part of a combined shutout. McDonald starts Sunday. … Hurdle said RHP Brad Lincoln would start the second game of a doublehader on Monday vs. Milwaukee. He also indicated that RHP Ross Ohlendorf would be recalled to start Tuesday’s game.

PITTSBURGH – Joey Votto hit his 21st homer of the season and later scored the game-winning run in the top of the ninth inning to lead the Cincinnati Reds past the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-8 on Friday night.

Brandon Phillips went 3 for 5 with a home run and four RBIs for Cincinnati, which let a four-run lead slip away. Ryan Hanigan added a solo shot and drove in two insurance runs in the ninth as the Reds beat the Pirates for just the third time in 10 tries this season.

Travis Wood (6-5) picked up the win in relief, getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth when center fielder Drew Stubbs threw out Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen, who attempted to score from third on a shallow fly by Ryan Ludwick. Francisco Cordero pitched a perfect ninth inning to collect his 25th save.

Pittsburgh closer Joel Hanrahan (0-2) took the loss, giving up three runs while getting just one out in the ninth after entering with the score tied.

Brandon Wood broke out of a lengthy slump, going 2 for 3 with three RBIs for Pittsburgh. McCutchen, Garrett Jones, Jose Tabata and Ronny Cedeno also had two hits apiece for the Pirates but Pittsburgh ran itself out of a chance to take the lead in the eighth and Cincinnati made them pay for it in the ninth.

Hanrahan, in the midst of a dominant year, issued a rare leadoff walk to Votto to start the inning. Votto moved to third on a one-out single by Dave Sappelt. Stubbs followed with a chopper to second. Pittsburgh second baseman Neil Walker tried to get Votto at the plate but the ball deflected off catcher Ryan Doumit’s glove. Votto slapped the plate for emphasis and Sappelt and Stubbs both moved up a base as the ball rolled to the backstop.

Hanigan followed with a sharp single up the middle to provide the final margin and chase Hanrahan, who stalked to the dugout after the worst outing of his All-Star season.

Cincinnati’s late surge spoiled a furious rally by the Pirates, who trailed 6-2 after Phillips drilled a three-run homer to left in the fifth.

Pittsburgh started chopping away after manager Clint Hurdle was ejected for the third time this season for arguing with home plate umpire Brian Knight moments after Jones was called out on strikes.

Hurdle, who was well out of eyesight in the dugout when Knight tossed him, appeared to be a little stunned by the early exit. He walked onto the field and engaged in an animated discussion with Knight before crew chief Jerry Layne came in to calm things down.

Hurdle’s passionate plea seemed to spark his club as the Pirates slowly got back in it as Cincinnati’s bullpen faltered following starter Homer Bailey.

Bailey gave up three runs and six hits in five innings, walking three and striking out six. He needed 96 pitches to get 15 outs but the Reds appeared to have things well in hand with a 6-3 lead.

Pittsburgh, however, kept chipping away but got too greedy in the eighth.

The Pirates eventually tied the game at 8-all on a single by McCutchen off Cincinnati’s Nick Masset. Jones, not exactly the fleetest runner, was out by a good 10 feet trying to score from second on the play. Pittsburgh kept the pressure on, however, loading the bases with one out.

Wood came on and induced Ludwick to hit a fly ball to shallow center that Stubbs ran down and his perfect throw to Hanigan at the plate easily beat the speedy McCutchen to keep the score tied and give Cincinnati the boost it needed to put the Pirates away.

Pittsburgh’s rally allowed Kevin Correia to avoid picking up his first-ever loss against the Reds as a starter. Still, he was far from sharp, giving up six runs and eight hits — including three home runs — in six innings, walking one and striking out one to continue his Jekyll-and-Hyde season.

Correia is among the best starters in the baseball on the road. His 10 victories away from home lead the majors.

Things don’t go quite so well when he starts the day waking up in his own bed. His ERA rose to 7.75 in his 12 games on the hill at the quirky ballpark along the Allegheny River.

NOTES: The game started after a 41-minute rain delay. … Wood snapped an 0-for-18 slump with a single to lead off the sixth. … The series continues on Saturday. Charlie Morton (9-6, 3.43 ERA) gets the start for Pittsburgh. Morton is 3-0 with a 0.39 ERA against the Reds this year. Dontrelle Willis (0-3, 4.08) starts for the Reds. Willis left his last start against San Diego with a sore left forearm but was OK’d to pitch after an MRI revealed no significant injury.

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A late Pittsburgh rally allowed Correia to get off the hook for the defeat. It proved little solace to the veteran right-hander, whose ERA rose to 7.75 in 12 games on the hill at the quirky ballpark along the Allegheny River.

“I still don’t believe it’s a home and road thing,” Correia said. “I’m completely comfortable throwing the ball here. I’ve pitched well in the majority of my starts but I’ve had too many big innings.”

Correia gave up six runs and eight hits — including three home runs — in six innings, walking one and striking out one to continue his Jekyll-and-Hyde season.

The 30-year-old is among the best starters in baseball on the road. His 10 victories away from home lead the majors. His record remains 2-8 at home.

He’s not sure what the issue is, but he got some unexpected help in the video room on Friday when manager Clint Hurdle was ejected in the fifth for arguing balls and strikes. Hurdle took the time to review Correia’s mechanics.

“When he makes a mistake he gets hit,” Hurdle said. “There’s no misses, no line drives at somebody. They’re all squared up.”

Hurdle and Correia missed a wild finish in which Pittsburgh clawed out of a four-run deficit to tie the game at 8-all only to watch it slip away in the ninth thanks to an uncharacteristically sloppy performance from All-Star closer Joel Hanrahan (0-2).

The burly right-hander issued a leadoff walk to Joey Votto in the ninth and never recovered, giving up three runs while managing to get just one out.

“It just boils down to a leadoff walk right there,” Hanrahan said. “You can’t have that in a situation like that. You’ve got to get the first out and go from there.”

The Pirates had hoped to give Hanrahan the ball with the lead, but some overly aggressive baserunning cost the chance.

Pittsburgh runners were thrown out at home twice in the eighth. Garrett Jones was easily gunned down while trying to score from second on a single by Andrew McCutchen, and McCutchen met the same fate three batters later when Cincinnati center fielder Drew Stubbs’ perfect throw prevented the speedy McCutchen from scoring on a shallow fly ball by Ryan Ludwick.

“Stubby saved the game,” Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said. “That’s one of best center fielders around right there. He gets good reads and breaks on balls and he gunned down one of the quickest men in this league.”

Hurdle defended the decision to send both runners.

“(Sending Jones) didn’t work out and I don’t think there’s any doubt you send McCutchen when you’ve got a chance there to put the run in and be on top,” Hurdle said.

Brandon Phillips went 3 for 5 with a home run and four RBIs for Cincinnati. Ryan Hanigan added a solo shot and drove in two insurance runs in the ninth off Hanrahan.

“The way it kept going back and forth, it was like a tennis match out there,” Phillips said. “I’m just glad we came out on top.”

It was a wild end to an eventful day for Cincinnati. Storms knocked out the electricity at the team’s hotel on Thursday night, rattling the normally unflappable Phillips.

“It was crazy when we first got in,” Phillips said. “You’re going to a hotel where you have no AC and no lights. I could have sworn somebody was in my room at one point. I’m not going to lie to you, I was scared.”

Travis Wood (6-5) picked up the win in relief. Francisco Cordero pitched a perfect ninth inning to collect his 25th save.

Brandon Wood broke out of a lengthy slump, going 2 for 3 with three RBIs for Pittsburgh. McCutchen, Jones, Jose Tabata and Ronny Cedeno also had two hits apiece for the Pirates but Pittsburgh couldn’t quite get over the top.

“We kept fighting, we kept scratching and clawing,” Hurdle said. “We kept finding a way to get back in it to tie it up. We were one punch away from creating some serious separation.”

NOTES: The game started after a 41-minute rain delay. … Wood snapped an 0-for-18 slump with a single to lead off the sixth. … The series continues Saturday. Charlie Morton (9-6, 3.43 ERA) gets the start for Pittsburgh. Morton is 3-0 with a 0.39 ERA against the Reds this year. Dontrelle Willis (0-3, 4.08) starts for the Reds. Willis left his last start against San Diego with a sore left forearm but was OK’d to pitch after an MRI revealed no significant injury.

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

Joey Votto hit his 21st homer of the season and later scored the game-winning run as the Reds beat the Pirates for just the third time in 10 tries this season.

Brandon Phillips went 3 for 5 with a home run and four RBIs for Cincinnati. Ryan Hanigan added a solo shot and drove in two insurance runs in the ninth off Hanrahan (0-2).

“The way it kept going back and forth, it was like a tennis match out there,” Phillips said. “I’m just glad we came out on top.”

It was a wild end to an eventful day for Cincinnati. Storms knocked out the electricity at the team’s hotel on Thursday night, rattling the normally unflappable Phillips.

“It was crazy when we first got in,” Phillips said. “You’re going to a hotel where you have no AC and no lights. I could have sworn somebody was in my room at one point. I’m not going to lie to you, I was scared.”

Travis Wood (6-5) picked up the win in relief, getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth when center fielder Drew Stubbs threw out Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen, who attempted to score from third on a shallow fly by Ryan Ludwick.

“’’Stubby saved the game,” Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said. “That’s one of best center fielders around right there. He gets good reads and breaks on balls and he gunned down one of the quickest men in this league.”

Francisco Cordero pitched a perfect ninth inning to collect his 25th save.

Brandon Wood broke out of a lengthy slump, going 2 for 3 with three RBIs for Pittsburgh. McCutchen, Garrett Jones, Jose Tabata and Ronny Cedeno also had two hits apiece for the Pirates but Pittsburgh made outs at the plate twice in the eighth.

“We kept fighting, we kept scratching and clawing,” said Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle, who was ejected in the fifth for arguing balls and strikes. “We kept finding a way to get back in it to tie it up. We were one punch away from creating some serious separation.”

Hanrahan, in the midst of a dominant year, issued a rare leadoff walk to Votto to start the inning. Votto moved to third on a one-out single by Dave Sappelt. Stubbs followed with a chopper to second. Pittsburgh second baseman Neil Walker tried to get Votto at the plate but the ball deflected off catcher Ryan Doumit’s glove. Votto slapped the plate for emphasis and Sappelt and Stubbs both moved up a base as the ball rolled to the backstop.

“It just boils down to a leadoff walk right there,” Hanrahan said. “You can’t have that in a situation like that. You’ve got to get the first out and go from there.”

Hanigan followed with a sharp single up the middle to provide the final margin and chase Hanrahan, who stalked to the dugout after the worst outing of his All-Star season.

Kevin Correia is convinced he can pitch effectively at PNC Park. The Pittsburgh Pirates starter also knows, however, that he’s running out of time this season to prove it.

Correia struggled again at home on Friday night, getting knocked around for six runs in six innings of an eventual 11-8 loss to Cincinnati.

A late Pittsburgh rally allowed Correia to get off the hook for the defeat. It proved little solace to the veteran right-hander, whose ERA rose to 7.75 in 12 games on the hill at the quirky ballpark along the Allegheny River.

“I still don’t believe it’s a home and road thing,” Correia said. “I’m completely comfortable throwing the ball here. I’ve pitched well in the majority of my starts but I’ve had too many big innings.”

Correia gave up six runs and eight hits — including three home runs — in six innings, walking one and striking out one to continue his Jekyll-and-Hyde season.

The 30-year-old is among the best starters in baseball on the road. His 10 victories away from home lead the majors. His record remains 2-8 at home.

He’s not sure what the issue is, but he got some unexpected help in the video room on Friday when manager Clint Hurdle was ejected in the fifth for arguing balls and strikes. Hurdle took the time to review Correia’s mechanics.

“When he makes a mistake he gets hit,” Hurdle said. “There’s no misses, no line drives at somebody. They’re all squared up.”

Hurdle and Correia missed a wild finish in which Pittsburgh clawed out of a four-run deficit to tie the game at 8-all only to watch it slip away in the ninth thanks to an uncharacteristically sloppy performance from All-Star closer Joel Hanrahan (0-2).

The burly right-hander issued a leadoff walk to Joey Votto in the ninth and never recovered, giving up three runs while managing to get just one out.

“It just boils down to a leadoff walk right there,” Hanrahan said. “You can’t have that in a situation like that. You’ve got to get the first out and go from there.”

The Pirates had hoped to give Hanrahan the ball with the lead, but some overly aggressive baserunning cost the chance.

Pittsburgh runners were thrown out at home twice in the eighth. Garrett Jones was easily gunned down while trying to score from second on a single by Andrew McCutchen, and McCutchen met the same fate three batters later when Cincinnati center fielder Drew Stubbs’ perfect throw prevented the speedy McCutchen from scoring on a shallow fly ball by Ryan Ludwick.

“Stubby saved the game,” Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said. “That’s one of best center fielders around right there. He gets good reads and breaks on balls and he gunned down one of the quickest men in this league.”

Hurdle defended the decision to send both runners.

“(Sending Jones) didn’t work out and I don’t think there’s any doubt you send McCutchen when you’ve got a chance there to put the run in and be on top,” Hurdle said.

Brandon Phillips went 3 for 5 with a home run and four RBIs for Cincinnati. Ryan Hanigan added a solo shot and drove in two insurance runs in the ninth off Hanrahan.

“The way it kept going back and forth, it was like a tennis match out there,” Phillips said. “I’m just glad we came out on top.”

It was a wild end to an eventful day for Cincinnati. Storms knocked out the electricity at the team’s hotel on Thursday night, rattling the normally unflappable Phillips.

“It was crazy when we first got in,” Phillips said. “You’re going to a hotel where you have no AC and no lights. I could have sworn somebody was in my room at one point. I’m not going to lie to you, I was scared.”

Travis Wood (6-5) picked up the win in relief. Francisco Cordero pitched a perfect ninth inning to collect his 25th save.

Brandon Wood broke out of a lengthy slump, going 2 for 3 with three RBIs for Pittsburgh. McCutchen, Jones, Jose Tabata and Ronny Cedeno also had two hits apiece for the Pirates but Pittsburgh couldn’t quite get over the top.

“We kept fighting, we kept scratching and clawing,” Hurdle said. “We kept finding a way to get back in it to tie it up. We were one punch away from creating some serious separation.”

NOTES: The game started after a 41-minute rain delay. … Wood snapped an 0-for-18 slump with a single to lead off the sixth. … The series continues Saturday. Charlie Morton (9-6, 3.43 ERA) gets the start for Pittsburgh. Morton is 3-0 with a 0.39 ERA against the Reds this year. Dontrelle Willis (0-3, 4.08) starts for the Reds. Willis left his last start against San Diego with a sore left forearm but was OK’d to pitch after an MRI revealed no significant injury.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Garrett Jones homered to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning and lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

Jones connected on a 2-2 pitch from Arthur Rhodes (3-4) for his 14th home run. It was also Jones’ second career game-ending homer as he connected against San Francisco’s Bob Howry on July 17, 2009.

Center fielder Andrew McCutchen prevented St. Louis from going ahead in the top of the 11th when he made a running backhanded inning-ending catch to rob Albert Pujols of extra bases and keep Rafael Furcal from scoring from first base.

Chris Resop (4-4) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

Pittsburgh tied the game in the ninth when Neil Walker homered on the first pitch from closer Fernando Salas. Walker, who has 10 homers, had not connected at home since June 5.

Salas, a rookie who suffered his fourth blown save in 27 opportunities, escaped further trouble when he got Brandon Wood to fly out and Ryan Ludwick to ground out with a runner on second base.

St. Louis had gone ahead in the top of the ninth on Matt Holliday’s sacrifice fly off closer Joel Hanrahan, snapping his streak of 15 consecutive scoreless innings. The Cardinals entered the day six games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central.

Albert Pujols reached 30 home runs for the 11th consecutive season when he connected in the sixth inning. The NL home runs leader is the first player in the major-league history to hit 30 homers in each of his first 11 seasons.

Pujols’ 28 career home runs at PNC Park are his most at any visiting stadium.

Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter struck out 10 in seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits with one walk.

Walker had three hits for the Pirates, Andrew McCutchen blasted a three-run home run and had two hits and Jose Tabata had two hits in his first game since strained his left quadriceps on June 26. Jones also had two hits.

David Freese had three hits for the Cardinals and Jay added two.

Pittsburgh starter Jeff Karstens allowed three runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings. He walked two and struck out five.

Jay led off the ninth with a double down the left-field line and was bunted to third by Rafael Furcal. Pujols was intentionally walked for the second straight plate appearances so Hanrahan could face Holliday, who briefly put the Cardinals ahead with his sacrifice fly.

The Cardinals tied the score at 3-3 with a two-run sixth inning that chased Karstens.

Pujols led off the inning with his home run into the right-field stands. Lance Berkman singled one out later and scored on Freese’s double to right.

McCutchen’s home run down the right-field line in the third off Carpenter put Pittsburgh ahead 3-1. The two-out drive came after Karstens walked and Tabata singled.

McCutchen helped St. Louis scored the game’s first run in the second inning when he allowed Holliday’s line drive to sail over his head for a leadoff double. Skip Schumaker drove in Holiday with a two-out single.

Notes: Tabata was activated from the 15-day DL before the game and the Pirates optioned 3B Pedro Alvarez to Class AAA Indianapolis. Tabata, who had been out since June 27 with a strained left quadriceps, started in left field and batted leadoff, going 2-for-5. Furcal and Jay flip-flopped places in the batting order with Jay hitting leadoff and Furcal hitting No. 2, a move manager Tony La Russa hopes will help the Cardinals cut down on hitting into double plays. They lead the NL with 132. Pirates RHP Evan Meek, on the DL since June 8 with shoulder tendinits, is scheduled to throw a simulated game Thursday at the Pirates’ training facility in Bradenton, Fla. If that goes well, he will begin a rehab assignment with Class A Bradenton next Monday. Cardinals RHP Kyle Lohse (10-7, 3.37) will start against LHP Paul Maholm (6-13, 3.60) on Wednesday in the finale of the three-game series. Lohse is 5-2 lifetime against Pittsburgh. Maholm has lost his last four decisions and Pujols is 21-for-36 (.583) against him with seven doubles and two home runs.

August 16, 2011

Pirates demote Alvarez, recall Tabata

Anonymous


For The Tribune-Democrat
The Tribune-Democrat

Tue Aug 16, 2011, 03:35 PM EDT

The Pittsburgh Pirates placed first baseman Derrek Lee on the
15-day disabled list before their game with the Milwaukee Brewers
on Saturday.

Lee broke a bone in his left wrist when he was hit by Chicago’s
Carlos Marmol on Aug. 3. The move is retroactive to Aug. 10.

Lee, who was acquired from Baltimore on July 30, missed four
games, but returned Monday and played two games in San Francisco.
He was batting .278 with two home runs and three RBIs in five games
since the trade.

Infielder Josh Harrison was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis.
It is his third stint with the Pirates in 2011. He has gone
25-for-95 (.263) with five RBIs and 12 runs scored in 30 games.

Read More: Santiago Casilla (P – SFG), Jeff Keppinger (2B – SFG), Jeff Karstens (P – PIT), Orlando Cabrera (2B – SFG), Guillermo Mota (P – SFG), Joel Hanrahan (P – PIT), Pablo Sandoval (3B – SFG), Eli Whiteside (C – SFG), Andrew McCutchen (CF – PIT), Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Pirates at San Francisco Giants, Aug 10, 2011 12:45 PM PDT

The San Francisco Giants were riding high after a shutout performance against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, looking to win a home series for the first time in their last three sets. Unfortunately Jonathan Sanchez was shaky, as was the bullpen, leading to a 9-2 Pittsburgh win at AT&T Park. 

Sanchez (L 4-7) lasted for only four and 1/3 innings this afternoon after giving up five runs on four hits, yet managed to fan six Bucs including the side in the fourth. Sanchez’s stamina seemed the be the issue, running out of steam much earlier in the game than the Giants would have liked. And aside from Santiago Casilla’s 2/3 of an inning in the fifth, the rest of the Giants relievers allowed earned runs, with Guillermo Mota allowing two.  

Pablo Sandoval launched a solo homer in the second, his 13th on the year, tying the 1914 Philadelphia Phillies with 19 straight solo jacks for the Black and Orange. Orlando Cabrera added an RBI single in the fourth, but aside from that the Giants offense was stagnent. Eli Whiteside was the only Giant with multiple hits, going 2-3 with two singles, while Jeff Keppinger went 0-3 with three K’s, his first hat trick at the plate as a Giant. 

Jeff Karstens (W 9-6) was solid in his six innings of work, keeping the Giants to just the two runs on eight hits, along with no walks and 9 strikeouts. All-Star Joel Hanrahan closed the game in the ninth in a non-save opportunity, while Andrew McCutchen had one heck of a a day, going 1-1 with three walks, a 2 RBI homer, and four runs scored. 

With the loss the Giants move to 64-54 on the year. Full box score can be found here. 

For more on the Giants, check out McCovey Chronicles. 

AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen (22) is met at the plate by teammate Steve Pearce after hitting a two-run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the third inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2011.

Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run homer, Jeff Karstens bounced back from his worst start of the season and the Pittsburgh Pirates won their first series in three weeks with a 9-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.
The Pirates took two of three from the reigning World Series champions on the heels of a 10-game losing streak. Pittsburgh is off Thursday before opening a weekend series at NL Central-leading Milwaukee. The Brewers have won all five previous meetings.
Garrett Jones added an RBI single to continue his torrid August and help back Karstens (9-6), whose career-high nine strikeouts matched a season-high for the team. Karstens, who ended a four-start winless stretch, gave up a season-high nine runs and nine hits in a 15-5 loss at San Diego last Friday.
McCutchen went 1 for 1 with three walks. He stole two bases and scored four runs.
Pablo Sandoval homered for the Giants, who began the day with a half-game lead over Arizona in the NL West. The Diamondbacks host Houston in a night game. San Francisco has led the division since June 25.
Sanchez (4-7) walked McCutchen on four pitches and threw five straight balls to start the game. Sandoval came in from third and catcher Eli Whiteside hustled to the mound to chat with the left-hander, who was roughed up again in his second start since coming off the disabled list with biceps tendinitis. Sanchez was done after 4 1-3 innings and hasn’t won since June 2 at St. Louis.
McCutchen stole second and came around to score on Ryan Ludwick’s RBI single.
McCutchen’s 16th clout of the year put Pittsburgh ahead 3-1 in the third. The Pirates have homered in four of their last five games and eight of 12.
McCutchen scored four runs — most by a Pirate in a game this year — also drawing three walks and getting hit by a pitch leading off the seventh. Brandon Wood added a two-run single in the seventh and Matt Diaz hit two run-scoring singles. Pittsburgh’s Nos. 1-5 hitters went a combined 7 for 17 with six RBIs, eight runs scored, seven walks and a hit batter. Jones is batting .389 (14 for 36) with five doubles, three homers and seven RBIs this month.
With a power show on offense of late, Bucs pitchers also have allowed 18 homers over the last nine games. Sandoval connected in the bottom of the first to tie the game at 1.
The Giants have hit 19 straight solo home runs, matching the 1914 Phillies’ major league mark. Their last homer to score more than one run was a two-run drive by Nate Schierholtz on July 6 against San Diego.
Still, San Francisco finished up a disappointing 3-7 homestand with its 10th loss in 13 games. The Giants have dropped three straight series at AT&T Park for the first time since losing six consecutive home series from May 12-June 18, 2008.
Pirates first baseman Derrek Lee was a late scratch from the lineup with a recurring left hand injury. Manager Clint Hurdle said Lee’s hand was very sore after he played the two previous nights following a four-game absence with the bruised hand. Lee was hit with a pitch from Chicago’s Carlos Marmol last Wednesday.
Lee is batting .278 with two home runs and three RBIs in four games since joining the Pirates in a trade from Baltimore.
NOTES: Giants RF Carlos Beltran missed his third straight game nursing a strained right hand and wrist. Schierholtz was held out with a right hip flexor. … Giants LHP Barry Zito will make another rehab outing Saturday for Triple-A Fresno then fly out to join the Giants on the road. … San Francisco INF Miguel Tejada (lower abdominal strain) isn’t quite ready to begin a rehab outing in the minors, manager Bruce Bochy said. Tejada will travel on the road trip. … Pirates RHP Kevin Hart had arthroscopic cleanup surgery Tuesday performed by Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, Fla. The team hopes to have Hart ready by spring training. … Pirates LHP Paul Maholm (6-12, 3.54 ERA) starts Friday trying to end a string of three straight losing decisions. He is 1-5 on the road and is coming off a 13-2 loss Saturday at San Diego. … All-Star RHP Matt Cain goes for the Giants on Friday at Florida, trying to improve to 4-1 for his career vs. the Marlins. He lost to Florida on May 24.

Read More: Jeff Keppinger (2B – SFG), Orlando Cabrera (2B – SFG), Carlos Beltran (RF – SFG), Charlie Morton (P – PIT), Ryan Vogelsong (P – SFG), San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Pirates at San Francisco Giants, Aug 8, 2011 7:15 PM PDT

In a perfect world for the San Francisco Giants, they’d play a struggling Pittsburgh Pirates team directly after struggling through a tough series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Well, perhaps that not “perfect world.” That term would be reserved for them beating the struggling Pirates after struggling themselves with the Phillies. Judgement for that scenario shall be reserved until, you know, the game has actually been played.

But it is true that they’re in a great situation to recover from the recent slump. Although, maybe the Pirates are looking at the Giants and thinking “Well, they’ve been losing lately, this is a good chance for us to get back on the horse!” Something will give, and seeing it give will probably be hilarious, given the recent showings. The Pirates are losers in every one of their last ten outings, and the Giants have barely salvaged series against the Diamondbacks and Phillies with one win in each.

Tonight, Ryan Vogelsong will take the mound for the Giants. He’s looking to get a winning streak going for the defending World Champions, as well as extend his own streak of not losing games. He’s 9-1 with a 2.19 earned run average in eighteen starts (twenty games) and hasn’t lost since May 26th. His last six games were wins, including an 8-1 beatdown of the Diamondbacks. He beat the Pirates earlier this year on April 28th, going 5 2/3 innings with two runs and eight strikeouts. 

Vogelsong will have the support of guys like Orlando Cabrera and Chris Stewart. That last sentence was a funny one … it was a joke, you see, though those two aren’t without their moments, driving in RBIs in Sunday’s 3-1 win over the Phillies, alongside Jeff Keppinger, who went 4-4. Unfortunately, he won’t have Carlos Beltran, who won’t be in the lineup today, according to Hank Schulman.

Charlie Morton will be taking the mound for Pittsburgh, hoping to get something going after going 1-3 over his last seven. He did pitch well in his last outing though, throwing seven shutout innings good for a no-decision against the Cubs. San Francisco will be looking for the Morton of the game prior, the one that gave up eight runs (six earned) and nine hits over just four innings to the Phillies.

It’s not all bad. He’s sporting a 8-6 record with a 3.80 ERA on the season and has a 5-2 record when on the road (nine starts). Credited with a no-decision the last time he played the Giants, Morton is 1-3 with a 3.48 ERA all-time against them. 

The game is set for 7:15 p.m. on Monday night.

All the good memories of an overachieving Pittsburgh Pirates team are quickly being erased by an awful second-half stretch.

Kyle Blanks hit a grand slam and drove in five runs as the San Diego Padres sent Pittsburgh to its ninth straight loss, 13-2 on Saturday.

Last in the National League in runs and homers, San Diego set a club record for runs in consecutive games with 28, team said in citing the Elias Sports Bureau. The Padres hit a grand slam in consecutive games for the first time in 20 years.

“We talk about contagious, and you see that happening a little bit the last couple of nights,” San Diego manager Bud Black said. “There’s a feeling amongst the lineup that they are going to give a good at bat and the result is going to be there.”

There was an opposite feeling in the other dugout. The Pirates were in first place on July 26, but have dropped 11 of 12 while plummeting out of the NL Central lead. Pittsburgh fell nine games behind division-leading Milwaukee, prompting a players-only team meeting after the game.

“We’ve got to get back to the attitude we had at the beginning of the season,” outfielder Garrett Jones said. “Get our mindset back to where it was. Get that swagger —that was the word we were using — and that attitude of ‘We’re gonna win every game.’”

Elsewhere in the National League it was: Chicago Cubs 11, Cincinnati 4; Philadelphia 2, San Francisco 1; Milwaukee 7, Houston 5; New York Mets 11, Atlanta 7; St. Louis 2, Florida 1; Los Angeles Dodgers 5, Arizona 3; Colorado 15, Washington 7.

At Pittsburgh, fans at PNC Park booed as the game got out of hand, leaving the Pirates at 0-6 on their homestand. Blanks’ slam off Chris Resop in the seventh inning made it 11-1.

Saddled with a major North American professional sports record 18 consecutive losing years, the Pirates were as many as seven games over .500 in July. But the team’s sudden slump has been just as stunning as its ascension to respectability after losing 105 games in 2010.

“Losing nine is no fun for anybody. But nobody’s holding a pity party for us,” losing pitcher Paul Maholm said. “I’m sure there’s a lot of people that are having fun with the fact we’re losing, but we’re just going to get over it and come back tomorrow and expect to win.”

San Diego has pounded Pirates pitching for five home runs in winning the first two games of the series and have won three in a row overall.

The Padres had not hit a grand slam this season until Chase Headley did it Friday night. After hitting his first homer the day before, Blanks’ shot Saturday marked the first time San Diego had hit slams on consecutive days since Aug. 13-14, 1991, when Fred McGriff had both. Cleveland was the most recent team to do it, Sept. 17-18 of last season.

“I feel like the last couple of days before we came on the road I was making some strides in the cage, figuring out some things and applying them in the game,” Blanks said. “Now the results do start to matter, and I feel good. I had a couple of good nights in a row, and I just want to continue.”

Rookie Cory Luebke (4-6) struck out a career-high nine and allowed one run over seven innings. He also had two hits and scored a run to help the Padres win their eighth straight game in Pittsburgh.

Orlando Hudson had three hits and scored the game’s first run on Blanks’ triple in the second. Rob Johnson had three RBIs for San Diego, which had scored a total of 28 runs over its eight previous games before this series.

Luebke came in having lost his previous three starts. He allowed five hits and no walks.

“We got ahead tonight,” Luebke said, “and with me and (Johnson) on the same page all night, when you get that kind of flow with your catcher, it just makes things easier for everybody.”

Maholm (6-12) gave up a season-high seven earned runs and tied a season high for hits allowed with 10. Pittsburgh has lost each of his five starts since the all-star break.

Jones had a solo home run for the Pirates in the eighth, his 13th and third of the homestand.

Philadelphia 2, San Francisco 1

At San Francisco, Cole Hamels pitched a seven-hitter for his first win in two weeks and the Philadelphia Phillies made a pair of first-inning runs hold up, extending their season-high winning streak to nine games.

Brewers 7, Astros 5

At Houston, Prince Fielder hit a three-run homer in the first inning and later doubled and singled as the Milwaukee Brewers won for the 10th time in 11 games by beating the Astros.

At Miami, Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer in the first inning, then Chris Carpenter and the St. Louis bullpen made it stand up in a win over the Florida Marlins.

At Chicago, Carlos Zambrano hit his 23rd career home run and pitched six solid innings, and the Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds for their seventh straight win.

At Phoenix, Nathan Eovaldi pitched five solid innings in his major league debut and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks.

At Denver, Ty Wigginton and Chris Iannetta each homered in a five-run fourth inning, Jhoulys Chacin won for the first time in seven weeks and a Colorado team shaken by the loss of rookie pitcher Juan Nicasio to a neck injury beat the Washington Nationals.

At New York, Justin Turner homered twice and the Mets stopped a five-game losing streak with a victory over the Atlanta Braves.