GAME #135, ROAD #68 RHP GERRIT COLE (15-8, 2.64 ERA) Vs
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PITTSBURGH PIRATES (80-54) vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (87-48) SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 AT BUSCH STADIUM --- GAME #135, ROAD #68 RHP GERRIT COLE (15-8, 2.64 ERA) vs. RHP JOHN LACKEY (11-8, 2.87 ERA) THE PIRATES....snapped their four game losing streak with Friday night’s 9-3 win...Have won eight of their last 14 games, 11 of their last 18 and 15 of their last 23... Have gone 19-10 in their last 29 contests and 40-22 in their last 62 games, dating back to June 26...Were 30 games over .500 following their win on 8/29 for the first time since finishing the 1992 season with a 96-66 record (+30)...Won a season-high eight straight games from 6/12-18...Have the best record in the Major Leagues (67-38) since May 9...Were 70-64 after 134 games last season (71-64 after 135). SHINING ON SUNDAY NIGHT: Tonight is the fourth time this season the Pirates are being featured on ESPN’s Sunday Night BUCS WHEN... Baseball...Pittsburgh is 3-0 on Sunday Night Baseball this year, beating the Giants 5-2 on August 23 at PNC Park, winning Last five games ............ 1-4 against the Dodgers 13-6 on August 9 at PNC Park, and walking off the Cardinals on July 12 after scoring three runs in the Last ten games ............ 5-5 10th inning in the final game before the All-Star break. SEEKING 16 WINS: Gerrit Cole enters today tied for the third-most wins (15) among all National League pitchers this sea- Leading after 6 ........... 64-5 son...He is looking to become Pittsburgh’s first 16-game winner since Francisco Liriano (16-8 in 2013) and the first Pirates Tied after 6 .............. 11-8 righthander to win 16 games since A.J. Burnett in 2012 (16-10)...The last Pirate to win more than 16 games in a season was John Smiley in 1991 (20-8). Trailing after 6 ........... 5-41 TO BE CONTINUED: The Bucs and Cards will face each other three more times during the regular season from September Leading after 7 ........... 66-1 28-30 at PNC Park...The Pirates are 5-2 against St. Louis at PNC Park this season and 11-5 since the beginning of 2014. Tied after 7 .............. 13-7 RIDING THE BULL: Pedro Alvarez has gone deep twice in his last five games against the Cardinals and in three of his last six games at Busch Stadium...Since the beginning of the 2010 campaign, Alvarez’ 18 home runs are the most by any player in Trailing after 7 ........... 1-46 the Majors against the Cardinals (the next closest players in that time have 13 home runs)...Alvarez also 58 RBI vs. St. Louis since 2010, which are tied for the most in that time along with teammate Aramis Ramirez (58). Leading after 8 ........... 68-1 A FAST TURNAROUND: Following tonight’s game the Bucs will travel to Cincinnati for a three-game series beginning at 1:10 Tied after 8 .............. 12-8 p.m. eastern time tomorrow afternoon...Six of Pittsburgh’s final 27 games will come against the Reds. Trailing after 8 ........... 0-45 FIRST THINGS FIRST: Andrew McCutchen is 8-for-8 with two walks in the first inning in his last 10 games...McCutchen is now 31-for-103 (.301) with six doubles, a home run and 11 RBI in the first inning this season. Scoring first ............ 51-12 SEAN ROD: Sean Rodriguez recorded a hit in six straight at bats before striking out in the ninth inning yesterday to end the Opp. score first. 29-42 streak...Since the beginning of last month, Rodriguez is hitting .408 (20-for-49) with five doubles, four RBI and nine runs scored in 27 games. Scoring 4+ ............. 62-12 GERRIT IN SEPTEMBER: Gerrit Cole has posted a record of 8-2 in 12 starts in September since 2013...Cole’s eight wins this Scoring less than 4 ....... 18-42 month since 2013 are tied for the fourth-most in the National League, trailing Adam Wainwright, Clayton Kershaw and Jordan Zimmermann with nine wins apiece. Outhitting Opp. ........... 57-6 THE MAJORS AND MINORS: The Pirates enter today with the third-best record in all of Major League Baseball...Pittsburgh’s Being out-hit ............ 17-41 minor league affiliates come into today with the sixth-best winning percentage (.533) among all organizations, trailing Houston Hits are equal ............. 6-7 (.553), Arizona (.547) the New York Mets (.537), Chicago Cubs (.537) and Philadelphia (.536). COMING THROUGH IN A PINCH: Pittsburgh’s pinch hitters are 8-for-11 with four RBI in the first five games of this month... Comeback wins. 36 The Bucs enter today with the third-highest average (.256) among National League teams in pinch-hit situations, trailing the Wins in final AB. 17 Phillies (.261) and Brewers (.259). Walkoff Wins ................9 RAMMY VS. THE REDBIRDS: Aramis Ramirez leads all active players in hits (246), home runs (37) and RBI (146) against the Cardinals...The next closest active player in home runs behind Ramirez is Ryan Howard (21)...The next closest active player Losses in Last AB ...........13 in hits and RBI against St. Louis is Brandon Phillips (153 hits and 70 RBI). Walkoff Losses ..............8 LEADING THINGS OFF: Gregory Polanco has hit safely in 12 of his 15 games this year vs. St. Louis, going 20-for-56 (.357)... Polanco’s 20 hits against the RedBirds are the most by any player in the league this season. Extra Inning Games ........ 10-7 BE LIKE MIKE: Michael Morse recorded a pinch-hit single on Friday and is now hitting .321 (18-for-56) since the All-Star Playing errorless ........ 48-23 break and at a .325 clip (13-for-40) in 24 games since being acquired by Pittsburgh on July 31. Homered ............... 52-25 ROOKING RAKING: Jung Ho Kang went 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored while batting cleanup Friday night..Since the All- Star break, Kang leads all National League rookies with 21 extra base hits, ranks second in slugging percentage (.560), third 2+ homers .............. 23-4 in OPS (.937) and fifth in on-base percentage (.377) and batting average (.314). Series (W-L-T) .........24-14-5 SAVING THE DAY: Mark Melancon currently leads the Major Leagues with a career-high 43 saves...Since saves became official in 1969, Melancon’s 43 saves are tied with Jose Mesa (2004) for the second-highest single-season total in club his- Series Sweeps ..............13 tory...Mike Williams posted a club-record 46 saves in 2002. Swept in a Series ............6 THE PITTSBURGH KID: Neil Walker has recorded 28 doubles this year, which are the most since he had a career-high 36 in 2011...He also enters today leading all National League second basemen with 43 extra base hits this season (St. Louis’ Kolten Interleague .............. 13-7 Wong ranks second with 38 extra base hits among National League second basemen). Before the break. 53-35 ON THIS DATE IN PIRATES HISTORY After the break .......... 27-19 September 6, 1972: The Bucs scored three times in the first inning and went on to blank the Cubs 4-0 at Three Rivers Starter goes 6.0ip+ ...... 60-28 Stadium. Dock Ellis went the distance for Pittsburgh, scattering seven hits while improving to 13-7 on the season. Starter goes less than 6.0ip ...19-26 Roberto Clemente delivered a two-run triple in the first inning to give the Bucs all the runs they would need while Al Oliver led the way with three hits on the night. UP-COMING GAMES AND PROBABLE PITCHERS Monday at Cincinnati 1:10 LHP Jeff Locke (7-9, 4.66 ERA) vs. RHP Anthony DeSclafani (7-10, 3.87 ERA) ROOT Tuesday at Cincinnati 7:10 LHP Francisco Liriano (9-7, 3.40 ERA) vs. RHP Raisel Iglesias (3-6, 3.81 ERA) ROOT Wednesday at Cincinnati 7:10 LHP J.A. Happ (4-1, 1.57 ERA with the Pirates) vs. TBA ROOT 45 - RHP GERRIT COLE YEAR W-L ERA G GS CG SHO IP H R ER BB SO 2014 11-5 3.65 22 22 0 0 138.0 127 58 56 40 138 2015 15-8 2.64 27 27 0 0 173.2 158 61 51 39 168 M.L. CAREER 36-20 3.13 68 68 0 0 429.0 394 162 149 107 406 vs. ST. LOUIS: 2-3 with a 3.49 ERA (38.2ip/15er) in six career regular season starts...Is 1-1 with a 3.65 ERA in two starts this year; won a 5-2 decision over Lance Lynn on 7/10 at PNC Park (7.0ip/2er) and lost a 4-2 decision (5.1ip/4r/3er) against Michael Wacha on 8/12 at Busch Stadium...Went 1-1 with a 3.42 ERA in three starts last year. 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 4/8 at Cincinnati ND 5.0 5 3 3 2 6 92 5.40 4-5 L 7/21 at Kansas City L 7.1 5 3 2 0 6 108 2.31 1-3 L 4/13 vs. Detroit W 6.0+ 3 1 1 2 8 94 3.27 5-4 W 7/26 vs. Washington W 7.2 7 1 1 0 8 103 2.24 3-1 W 4/19 vs.