Bucs @ Nats | Series Thread | 5/16-5/17

[evolver115]

v

The Washington Nationals still haven't lost back-to-back home games, and sending Gio Gonzalez to the mound should give them a great chance to make sure that holds true Wednesday night.

Gonzalez has given up just one run over three outings at Nationals Park, a start he'll look to continue as the Nationals and Pirates get together for the second time in a week.

Stephen Strasburg gets the most attention in the Nationals' major league-best rotation (2.55 ERA), but it's Gonzalez (4-1, 1.94) who has the staff's lowest ERA after Strasburg struggled in Tuesday's 6-1 loss to San Diego.

Gonzalez wasn't at his best Friday in Cincinnati, laboring through five innings while allowing five hits and four walks. But he held the Reds to two runs in the 7-3 win and struck out a season-high nine, including one that eventually allowed him to escape a bases-loaded jam in the fifth.

"It shows a lot from the manager that he believed in me 100 percent, and gave me an opportunity to go out there and showcase what I can do. He didn't pull me out in that situation," Gonzalez told the Nationals' official website. "He believed in me, and that shows me a lot. I want to go out there and win every game for him."

Washington has won every time Gonzalez has started in the nation's capital, and only a Brad Lidge blown save has kept him from being 3-0. Gonzalez has gone seven innings in each home outing, surrendering a run for the first time in a 7-1 victory over Philadelphia on May 5.

Opponents are hitting .114 at home against Gonzalez, who leads the majors with 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings and will be looking to run the Nats' record in D.C. to 5-0 after a loss.

Gonzalez didn't face Pittsburgh (17-19) last week at PNC Park as the Pirates took two of three. He allowed a solo homer and three other hits over six innings in his lone start against Pittsburgh while with Oakland on June 27, 2010.

Erik Bedard (2-4, 2.57) faced the Nationals (22-14) last Wednesday, but he didn't last long. The left-hander exited after one inning with back spasms, and had his scheduled Monday start pushed back two days.

He's fared well against Washington in the past, posting a 1.35 ERA and striking out 30 in 20 innings.

"Getting him back is a sigh of relief for me," pitching coach Ray Searage told the Pirates' official website.

The Nationals went with a righty-heavy approach against Bedard last week -- Bryce Harper and Adam LaRoche were the only left-handed hitters in Davey Johnson's lineup -- and might want to follow a similar pattern Wednesday. Right-handers are hitting .299 off Bedard, while lefties are 2 for 25 with nine strikeouts.

Washington is hitting .208 against left-handers -- the second-worst mark in the NL.

The Pirates are batting .182 (16 for 88) versus lefties since May 3, but they're struggling to score regardless of which side a pitcher is coming from. Pittsburgh was held to six hits -- its 11th straight game with eight or fewer -- in Tuesday's 6-2 loss at Miami.

The Pirates have scored two runs or fewer in exactly half of their games.

Andrew McCutchen continues to be Pittsburgh's biggest and often only offensive threat, something the Nationals know quite well. The center fielder was 6 of 9 with two homers and three walks -- half his team's total -- in last week's series, while the rest of the club went 12 for 84 (.143).

McCutchen is hitting .500 (24 for 48) with four homers and a 1.516 OPS during a 13-game hitting streak versus Washington.

LaRoche is 7 for 20 with three homers in his last six games against his former team.

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

IN!

 

[evolver115]

IN!

Any new injury news from the 19 year old phenom? Saw he hit another homer last nite, hope he didn't punch out an eye afterwards, celebrating it

 

[Burgh Sports Rule]

Pedro benched for tonight. Josh Harrison playing. Sigh... Despite his struggles at times, I would still rather have Pedro in this lineup everyday, then to watch a bench player.

Burgh

 

[Darkstone42]

I'd rather see Pedro every day, too, but if you're going to give him a rest, might as well do it against a lefty with a high strikeout rate.

Also, looks like Bedard is back in the rotation. Perhaps that'll push Coreia out.

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

Any new injury news from the 19 year old phenom? Saw he hit another homer last nite, hope he didn't punch out an eye afterwards, celebrating it

har har.....

We have like no catchers, but otherwise a normal lineup tonight. I will be watching the first part at the gym, but will check in.

 

[Burgh Sports Rule]

I'd rather see Pedro every day, too, but if you're going to give him a rest, might as well do it against a lefty with a high strikeout rate.

Also, looks like Bedard is back in the rotation. Perhaps that'll push Coreia out.

I understand what you're saying Darkstone but my feeling is, that the only way Pedro is going to learn to hit good left handed pitching, is to play against good left handed pitching.

He was the #2 Pk overall in his draft yr for goodness sake.

Play him.

This lineup tonight is a joke.

Play your best players every night. I still count Pedro as one of our best guys, to put on the field, on a nightly basis.

I hope we get the win?

Burgh

 

[sychmd]

i would love to see pedro in the lineup as well.
he is in a slump results-wise, strikeouts are increasing again, but when he does make contact, is hitting it pretty well, sometimes for hits and sometimes for outs.

pedro does need to hit good lefty pitching to be our stud, but right now, dont force it because it probably aint happening.

let him sit this one out, hopefully get on track over the next 2 months, build confidence, approach, rhythm, and then let him go up against the big lefties when he has some weapons to fight back with.

 

[Darkstone42]

Looks like playing Harrison was the correct decision. That was an impressive home run.

 

[Darkstone42]

Well J-Mac's off to a nice little start here. Five K's through 2.

 

[evolver115]

Well J-Mac's off to a nice little start here. Five K's through 2.

So nice to see the lineup support him with some homer's too!

 

[evolver115]

Cutch just made a highlight reel catch to rob Laroche of a sure double.:bump2:

 

[evolver115]

J-Mac with ten K's through five innings. He also has a no-no working

 

[thecrow124]

Looks like a pretty tight zone tonight, hard to believe that McDonald has 10 K's.

 

[thecrow124]

J-Mac with ten K's through five innings. He also has a no-no working

I wasn't gonna bring it up until after the 6th, not really too interresting before that.

 

[evolver115]

I wasn't gonna bring it up until after the 6th, not really too interresting before that.

Haha, yeah... I didn't want to jinx it, but what the hell. Would be great to see him do it. Who was the last buc pitcher with a no hitter? Been a long time...

 

[thecrow124]

Haha, yeah... I didn't want to jinx it, but what the hell. Would be great to see him do it. Who was the last buc pitcher with a no hitter? Been a long time...

Harvey Haddix, but he still lost the game in the 12th I think. Back in the early 90's a couple pitchers teamed up on one, and I think Sean Burnett and another guy had one, but he also walked like 8 batters. That is it for the entire history of the Pirates though, not one complete game no-no by anyone in our history.

 

[evolver115]

I remember Cordova factoring in to a no hitter in the late 90's. I think that might have been the combined effort, one.


U were right Crow. Not impressive until after six. Oh well.

 

[thecrow124]

Harvey Haddix, but he still lost the game in the 12th I think. Back in the early 90's a couple pitchers teamed up on one, and I think Sean Burnett and another guy had one, but he also walked like 8 batters. That is it for the entire history of the Pirates though, not one complete game no-no by anyone in our history.

I could be wrong about the one in the early 90's if memory serves, he might have lost it in the 8th after about 135 pitches....again a lot of walks.

 

[thecrow124]

I remember Cordova factoring in to a no hitter in the late 90's. I think that might have been the combined effort, one.

Thats what I was thinking too, but that one might have been lost by the starter late in the game.