The Pittsburgh Pirates continue its series against the Chicago Cubs tonight at 7:05 p.m. This is the second of four games. Last night the Pirates fell 5-2 due in large part to a three-run seventh inning against Arquimedes Caminero.
Tonight’s starters:
Starting for the Pirates in this contest is Francisco Liriano [0-1 2.08 ERA]. Liriano is 4-2 with a 2.30 ERA in nine career starts against the Cubs. Liriano went 1-0 with a 1.20 ERA in three starts last season against them. Liriano also has been charged with more than two earned runs on two of his nine starts against the Cubs.
In the past three seasons, Liriano has a .205 batting average against left-handed hitters. Manager Clint Hurdle says this is because of deception in his delivery, the velocity he gets and the spin created.
“It’s hard to sit on everything,” Hurdle said. “You’ve got to throw enough strikes with your fastball which he is able to do, the combination of a slider and a changeup with late life and late movement from that angle and deception can make it very difficult for a left-handed hitter.”
Travis Wood [1-1 2.31 ERA] is coming off a 7-plus inning start against the Cincinnati Reds in which he allowed three hits and struck out seven batters in 94 pitches in a 5-0 win against the Cincinnati Reds.
Wood is 5-7 in his career against the Pirates while posting a 4.28 ERA. Wood is making his 14th start against the Pirates and all five of his wins against them have come at PNC Park. Last season, Wood was 1-2 with a 6.63 ERA against the Pirates allowing 14 runs and 26 hits over the course of 19 innings.
Pregame thoughts:
With Wood on the mound the Pirates are going with more of a right-handed hitting line up. Pedro Alvarez will not start tonight because he is 1-for-18 in his career against Wood, good for a .056 batting average. Gregory Polanco also is not in the starting lineup and Hurdle believes this will allow him to catch his breath. Hurdle stated Walker is batting second in the lineup because of his success against Wood [.389, 7-for-18 at the plate].
This is the first time the Pirates have seen a left-handed starter this season.
“When you don’t have it, you have to create it,” said Hurdle. “We’ve had to do a lot of machine work and we’ve got machines available that throw left-handed sliders, left-handed breaking balls and throw a changeup. You try to create things the best you can to provide that look.”
With Joe Maddon in the National League managing the Chicago Cubs, the pitcher batting eighth in the starting lineup has become a commonplace. and it is a topic Hurdle addressed prior to the game.
“I’ve managed against Tony LaRussa when he’d implement it and I talked to him about his reason why,” Hurdle said. “Basically it’s trying to stack guys in front of your better guys the second time through not so much the first through. You’re gambling and rolling the dice the first time through and if those guys get all of a sudden how it played out a couple of times early for them could happen.”
On the Cubs side of the dugout, the team selected the contract of infielder Addison Russell from Triple-A Iowa and sent infielder/outfielder Arismendy Alcantara to Iowa. Russell needed a spot on the 40-man roster and the Cubs transferred infielder Mike Olt to the 60-day disabled list.
Russell entered the season ranked as the third-best prospect by Baseball America. He was acquired by the Cubs in the trade that sent Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to the Oakland Athletics last Jul. 5. In 244 minor league games, Russell batted .301 with 57 doubles, 20 triples, 38 home runs and 159 RBI.
Tonight’s lineups:
Pirates [6-7]
1.Josh Harrison 3B
2 Neil Walker 2B
3 Andrew McCutchen CF
4 Corey Hart 1B
5 Starling Marte LF
6 Jung-ho Kang SS
7 Francisco Cervelli C
8 Sean Rodriguez RF
9 Francisco Liriano P
Cubs [7-5]
1 Dexter Fowler CF
2 Anthony Rizzo 1B
3 Jorge Soler RF
4 Kris Bryant 3B
5 Starlin Castro SS
6 Chris Denorfia LF
7 Welington Castillo C
8 Travis Wood P
9 Addison Russell 2B
Bottom of the ninth:
The female fan that was struck by a foul ball in last night’s game has been released from the hospital. The Pirates said in a statement that she was sent by ambulance to the hospital and was released last night after the necessary examinations. The organization is currently in the process of reaching out to show their support.
