MAY 17, 2014 at YANKEE STADIUM --- GAME #41, ROAD #18 RHP EDINSON VOLQUEZ (1-3, 4.36 ERA) Vs
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PITTSBURGH PIRATES (17-23) vs. NEW YORK YANKEES (21-19) MAY 17, 2014 AT YANKEE STADIUM --- GAME #41, ROAD #18 RHP EDINSON VOLQUEZ (1-3, 4.36 ERA) vs. RHP DAVID PHELPS (0-0, 4.09 ERA) THE PIRATES...have gone 1-2 on this six-game road trip following their three-game series in Milwaukee...Suffered a 4-3, walkoff loss Thursday afternoon after winning, 4-1, Wednesday...Began trip with a 5-2 loss Tuesday...Won a season-high four straight games from 5/6-10...Have won seven of their last 12 games after losing seven-of- eight...Were a season-high three games over .500 (6-3 record) on 4/10...Were 23-17 after 40 games in 2013 (24-17 after 41). THE BIG APPLE: Today the Bucs are scheduled to begin a three-game series at Yankee Stadium...This is Pittsburgh’s first trip to BUCS WHEN... the Bronx since being swept in a three-game series in 2007 (June 8-10)...The Pirates are 0-6 against the Yankees in New York, Last five games ............ 2-3 having also lost three straight in 2005 (June 14-16). Last ten games ............ 5-5 INTERLEAGUE PLAY: Pittsburgh’s next five scheduled games are against American League teams; three with the Yankees and two with the Orioles at PNC Park...The Pirates posted the best interleague record last season (15-5), going 9-1 on the road and Leading after 6 ............ 7-4 6-4 at home...They are 2-3 so far this season, losing two in Baltimore and taking two-of-three from the Blue Jays in Pittsburgh. Tied after 6 ............... 7-3 THE BRONX BOMBER RETURNS: Bucco slugger Pedro Alvarez is a 2005 graduate of nearby Horace Mann High School, where Trailing after 6 ........... 3-16 he was the Gatorade and Louisville Slugger New York High School Player-of-the-Year his senior season...Alvarez, who has never faced the Yankees, grew up a few short miles from the Stadium. Leading after 7 ........... 11-4 SERIES-LY SPEAKING: The Pirates have won three of their last four series...They have gone 8-5 in the first game of each series. Tied after 7 ............... 5-2 ANDREW AGAINST THE A.L.: Andrew McCutchen hit .375 (27-for-72) with seven doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI in 18 Trailing after 7 ........... 1-17 games against the American League last season and has 49 career RBI in interleague action; the second-most in Pirates history behind Brian Giles (51)...McCutchen has hit safely in seven of his last eight games against the A.L. (14-for-30, .467). Leading after 8 ........... 12-4 EL TORO: Pedro Alvarez has hit safely in 17 of his last 18 games against American League teams, going 26-for-66 (.394) with Tied after 8 ............... 4-1 six doubles, five home runs and 14 RBI...Alvarez ranks third all-time in Pirates history with 12 career home runs in interleague Trailing after 8 ........... 1-18 play, trailing only Brian Giles and Kevin Young (17 apiece). WE LIKE IKE: In his first 14 games this month, Ike Davis ranks among the National League leaders with a .349 (15-for-43) Scoring first .............. 9-9 average while producing a .440 on-base percentage...He has gone 12-for-25 (.480) in his last eight games and has reached base Opp. score first. 8-14 safely 18 times in his last 34 plate appearances. Scoring 4+ .............. 14-6 MAY IS McCUTCHEN’S MONTH: In his first 13 games this month, Andrew McCutchen is hitting .347 (17-for-49) and ranks among the top 10 leaders in the National League in that category...Cutch batted .324 last year during the month of May and his Scoring less than 4 ........ 3-17 career average of .323 (142-for-440) in May is his highest among all the months. Outhitting Opp. ........... 14-3 AT THE TOP: Pittsburgh’s leadoff batters have reached base safely in seven straight games and in 13 of the last 14 contests... Josh Harrison has gone 8-for-21 (.381) in his six games from the top spot of the order and Jose Tabata has gone 7-for-23 (.304) Being out-hit ............. 1-16 in his six games as the leadoff hitter...In the last 12 games, the Bucco leadoff batters who have started the games have gone a Hits are equal ............. 2-4 combined 15-for-42 (.357) with five doubles, two triples and eight runs scored. TURN THE PAGE: As a team, the Pirates are hitting .293 (146-for-499) in May after hitting .221 in March/April...In the month of Comeback wins. 11 May, the Bucs rank first with a .366 on-base percentage and second to Colorado in batting. Wins in final AB. 7 REAL DEAL NEIL: Neil Walker leads all Major League second basemen with 23 RBI...In addition, his eight home runs rank second Walkoff Wins ................5 to Minnesota’s Brian Dozier (nine) among big league second basemen...Walker, who hit a career-high 16 home runs in 2013, hit Losses in final AB ............6 his eighth homer last season in his 99th game on 8/20 and his ninth in his 105th game on 8/27. YO GABY GABY: Gaby Sanchez has six hits in his last 12 at bats on the road and is hitting .343 (12-for-35) with five doubles, a Extra Inning Games ......... 2-3 triple, three home runs and eight RBI in his 12 games played on the road this season...Sanchez is hitting .393 (11-for-28) in his first 13 games played in May and 11 of his 20 hits this season have gone for extra bases. Playing errorless ......... 8-14 THE STARTING LINEUP: Neil Walker has started each of the first 40 games of the season at second base...The last Pirates Homered ................ 8-10 second baseman to make more consecutive starts to begin a season there was Jose Lind with 83 in 1988. 2+ homers ............... 6-2 CLOSE ONES: The Pirates have won the most one-run games (11) in the Majors this season...A total of 27 of their first 40 games this season (68%) have been decided by one or two runs (13-14 record). Series (W-L-T) ...........6-7-0 Series Sweeps ...............0 JAY HAY: Josh Harrison has 10 hits and a walk in his last 25 plate appearances and is hitting .349 (15-for-43) overall in his last 18 games with three doubles, two triples, a home run, four RBI and eight runs scored...Harrison has gone 13-for-34 (.382) in his Swept in a Series ............2 eight starts, having made six starts in right field and two at third base. Interleague ............... 2-3 REMEMBERING RALPH: The Pirates will honor Hall-of-Famer Ralph Kiner with a #4 patch on their uniform sleeves during the 2014 season...Kiner, who smacked a club-record 54 home runs with the Pirates in 1949 and ranks second on the club’s all-time Before the break. 17-23 home run list with 301, died this past February 6 at his home in Rancho Mirage, CA. After the break ............ 0-0 ON THIS DATE IN PIRATES HISTORY Starter goes 6.0ip+ ...... 10-13 May 17, 1956: Due to a slow start in his sophomore season, the St. Louis Cardinals trade outfielder Bill Virdon, the Starter goes less than 6.0ip ..7-10 N.L. Rookie-of-the-Year the previous season, to the Pirates in exchange for Bobby Del Greco and Dick Littlefield. The 25-year old Virdon will finish the 1956 season hitting .334 in 133 games for the Bucs and will play a key role in the team’s World Championship in 1960. DAY/OPPONENT/TIME UPCOMING PROBABLE PITCHERS TV Sunday at New York Yankees 1:05 RHP Charlie Morton (0-5, 3.22 ERA) vs. RHP Hiroki Kuroda (2-3, 4.62 ERA) or Vidal Nuno ROOT Sunday at New York Yankees RHP Gerrit Cole (3-3, 3.76 ERA) vs. LHP Vidal Nuno (1-1, 6.43 ERA) or Hiroki Kuroda ROOT Monday OFF DAY IN PITTSBURGH 36 - RHP EDINSON VOLQUEZ YEAR W-L ERA G GS CG SHO IP H R ER BB SO 2013 9-12 5.71 33 32 0 0 170.1 193 114 108 77 142 2014 1-3 4.36 8 7 0 0 43.1 39 22 21 13 25 M.L. CAREER 54-55 4.74 167 161 1 1 893.1 869 501 470 462 820 vs. YANKEES: 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in one career start...Won a 4-2 decision over Mike Mussina while pitching with the Reds in New York on 6/20/08 (7.0ip/2er)...Has gone 6-6 with a 4.75 ERA (96.2ip/51er) in 17 career interleague starts, which includes an 0-1 record in one start this season; a 7-2 loss vs. Toronto on 5/4 (5.0ip/6er)...Went 1-1 with a 2.93 ERA in five starts against the A.L. last season. DATE/OPP W/L IP H R ER BB SO PITCHES ERA SCORE DATE/OPP W/L IP H R ER BB SO PITCHES ERA SCORE 4/3 vs. Chi (relief) ND 2.0 1 0 0 0 2 28 0.00 2-3 L 4/6 vs. Stl ND 5.2 3 1 1 1 4 81 1.17 2-1 W 4/12 at Mil ND 6.1 4 2 1 2 4 93 1.29 2-3 L 4/17 vs.