Good afternoon from PNC Park where tonight the Pirates (8-8) look to take at least a split of the series from the Brewers (11-5) in game 2 of the four-game set. Charlie Morton (0-1, 3.32 ERA) looks for win #1 against Kyle Lohse (2-1, 3.05 ERA).
Hurdle’s Quotes
On Russell Martin batting in the second spot — “He his second probably more than everybody in Spring Training. Every game till the last week he hit second and I started it off just because I wanted to give him the extra at bat early when he was only catching five innings and you start watching it and watching the at bats how he’s starting to block the ball off. He’s hitting the ball to the bigger part of the park, he his three or four home runs in Spring Training to right field. He’s a backyard ballplayer and I think you saw an approach from the first at bat.”
On Bryan Morris’s performance — “Increase in velocity, crispness in pitches. He’s the same guy we were talking about last summer without the strikeouts. I think he’s got a big arm. It’s maturity, his experience, comfort zone coming back. He’s pitched meaningful innings, so his confidence is up, but he got in a good place with whatever glitches he felt he had. The delivery is clean, the fastball command has improved. There is more velocity and there’s definitely more tilt and break to the cutter and slider. It’s become a wipe out pitch for him.”
Other Notes
— The Pirates bullpen ranks fourth in the NL with a 2.62 ERA (48 IN/14 ER) and is tied for second among all big league teams in wins (5). In the first seven games played at PNC Park this season, the shark tank has combined to allow five earned runs in 27 1/3 innings of work (1.65 ERA).
— Pirate reliever Mark Melancon has the longest current streak of innings pitched without allowing a home run (71 IN) among all Major League pitchers. He surrendered his only home run last season on April 14; a solo shot to Cincinnati’s Joey Votto at PNC Park in a victory.
— In his last 14 starts, dating back to 8/7/13, Charlie Morton has gone 4-2 with a 2.81 ERA (86 1/3 IN/27 ER). Morton, who missed a majority of the 2012 season after having Tommy John surgery on 6/14/12, returned to the big league mound last year on 6/13 and went on to post a 7-4 record and a 3.26 ERA in 20 starts for the Bucs last season.
Tonight’s Pirates Lineup
First pitch is set for 7:05.
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(Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
