The Pittsburgh Pirates begin their second Interleague series and third homestand of the 2015 season tonight against the Minnesota Twins.
The Pirates ended a four game losing streak on Sunday with its 3-0 victory against the Chicago Cubs. Now after a day off, they start an eight-game homestand.
This is the third time the Pirates have played the Twins at home since the opening of PNC Park. The Pirates won two of three games when the teams met June 19-21 in 2012.
The Pirates lost two of three games to the Detroit Tigers earlier in the season.
Tonight’s starters:
In tonight’s game the Pirates will send Francisco Liriano to the mound against Ricky Nolasco.
Liriano is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA against his former team. Both of these starts were made as a member of the Chicago White Sox. This is his first time facing the Twins since Sept. 15, 2012. Liriano’s last start was a loss against the Philadelphia Phillies. Liriano allowed three runs on seven hits. Liriano is 13-9 with a 3.37 ERA in Interleague play.
Nolasco is coming off a win against the Detroit Tigers in which he allowed two runs on four hits in 5.1 innings of work. He recorded a season high seven strikeouts in the game. Nolasco will be making his 10th career start against the Pirates and has a 5-4 record against them with a 2.48 ERA. He has not faced the Pirates since Jul. 20, 2012 when he was with the Miami Marlins. Nolasco is 9-13 with a 5.10 ERA in Interleague play.
Pregame thoughts:
Jordy Mercer will be out of the starting lineup for a fourth consecutive game. Jung Ho Kang will start in his place.
Manager Clint Hurdle said that he had wanted to give him some work, however with all three games against the Chicago Cubs coming in the day, there was not many opportunities to do anything outside of batting practice.
Hurdle says the team will take things one day at a time with Mercer.
“We went case specific,” Hurdle said. “I talked to the hitting coaches today and today I’m going to hunt an opportunity and we’ll look for it. I feel like he’s getting closer to some things. There’s only one way to eventually find out how close you are and where you are and that’s in a game environment.”
The adjustment that is being made concerns a swing correction in which his hands are back, his backside is held, his foot is down and ultimately a good swing is the end result.
Many have embraced the idea of Starling Marte batting cleanup. Marte initially was not one of those people.
“He wasn’t as warm and fuzzy about it as I was and rightfully so,” said Hurdle. “He’s a young guy that’s got some experience and is doing some good things. Then your whacked out manager says by the way let’s try this let’s throw you in the four spot and lets roll. I told him you can provide the best protection for us there.”
Marte clearly has bought in now batting .365 in 15 games in the cleanup spot of the order.
Bottom of the ninth:
Since the beginning of the 2013 season Neil Walker leads all National League second basemen with 41 home runs and ranks second to Minnesota’s Brian Dozier who has 47.
The Pirates are 15-8 at home during Interleague games. Pirates catchers rank third in the NL with a .296 combine batting average.
Charlie Morton is the probable starting pitcher for tonight’s Triple-A Indianapolis game. In Morton’s last outing with Indianapolis he allowed two runs [one earned] in seven innings and 96 pitches.
The Miami Marlins may have surprised some people when it announced the team’s next manager would be Dan Jennings. Jennings previously was the Marlins general manager.
At the start of Hurdle’s press conference he was asked if he think a manager could ever transition into becoming a general manager.
“It would really take a special person, I don’t want any part of that job,” Hurdle said. “Dan Jennings is a really good baseball man, how this will all payoff only time will tell. I texted him and welcomed him back to the club of first guessing.”
Photo credit: USA Today
