SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 at PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA --- GAME #153/HOME #75 LHP GIO GONZALEZ (11-10, 4.48 ERA) Vs
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WASHINGTON NATIONALS (89-63) vs. PITTSBURGH PIRATES (76-76) SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 at PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA --- GAME #153/HOME #75 LHP GIO GONZALEZ (11-10, 4.48 ERA) vs. RHP JAMESON TAILLON (4-4, 3.39 ERA) THE PIRATES... have won six of their last eight games and seven of their last 10...Scored a season-high 15 runs on 9/15 in Philadelphia (scored eight runs in the ninth inning)...Won a season-high seven straight games from 6/29 to 7/6...Were a season-high nine games over .500 following their win against the Rangers in Texas on 5/27 (28-19)...Were 92-60 after 152 games in 2015 (93-60 after 153). BUCS WHEN... ROAD TRIP RECAP: The Pirates returned home at 1:45 this morning from an 11-game road trip to Philadelphia (2-2), Cincinnati (3-1) and Milwaukee (2-1)...Sean Rodriguez hit safely in 10 of the 11 games, going 15-for-40 (.375) with six Last five games ................ 3-2 home runs and 15 RBI...Andrew McCutchen batted .370 (17-for-46) with four homers and 13 RBI. Last ten games ................. 7-3 LOVING THE LEFTIES: The Bucs have posted a 19-9 record this season in games started by an opposing LHP, winning nine of the last 10 instances, and posting the best winning percentage (.679) among all Major League teams...Francisco Cervelli Leading after 6 ................63-4 has produced eight hits in his last eight at bats against left-handed pitchers and is hitting .408 (20-for-49) overall against Tied after 6 ....................8-8 LHP this season...Left-handed hitting Adam Frazier has gone 9-for-18 (.500) in limited action against southpaws and David Freese is batting .330 (29-for-88) against lefties in 2016. Trailing after 6 ................5-64 J.T. AT PNC: Jameson Taillon has produced a 2.78 ERA (55.0ip/17er) in his nine starts at PNC Park...He has pitched at least Leading after 7 ................67-6 6.0 innings in seven of the nine assignments, including a career-high 8.0ip on 8/22 vs. Houston and 8/11 vs. San Diego... Tied after 7 .................... 7-7 Taillon has been charged with just six earned runs in his last five starts at PNC Park (33.0ip - 1.64 ERA). CATCH THIS: Francisco Cervelli has reached base safely in nine straight games and leads all Major League catchers with Trailing after 7 ................ 2-63 a .371 on-base percentage this season...In his two seasons with the Pirates, Cervelli has produced a .372 OBP in his 219 Leading after 8 ................69-2 games as a catcher; the best mark among all Major League backstops. Tied after 8 ....................6-6 WEARING THE BLACK AND GOLD: When newly-acquired lefty Phil Coke (#52) appears in a game with the Pirates, he will become the 55th different player and 31st different person to pitch in at least one game for the Pirates this season, extending Trailing after 8 ................ 1-68 the club records in both categories...The previous highs were 52 total players used in 2011 and 27 pitchers used in 2010. Scoring first ................. 54-26 JOYCE IS IN THE RECORD BOOKS: Matt Joyce walked for the 21st time as a pinch hitter Saturday night in Cincinnati, setting the Major League record for most walks as a pinch hitter in a season...The previous mark of 20 was held by Atlanta’s Greg Opp. score first ............... 22-50 Norton in 2009 and Matt Franco, who walked 20 times as a pinch hitter with the Mets in 1999. Scoring 4+ .................. 66-28 PEN PALS: Pittsburgh’s bullpen has posted the third-best ERA (3.36) among National League teams this season, trailing only Los Angeles (3.25) and Washington (3.26)...The Bucco pen has also posted a 27-19 record for a .587 winning percentage; Scoring less than 4 ............ 10-48 ranked third behind New York (28-19, .596) and Los Angeles (29-20, .592) among National League teams. Outhitting Opp. ...............52-13 MR. RELIABLE: Bucco lefty Tony Watson made his 400th career appearance Tuesday night, becoming just the eighth pitcher (and quickest) to make 400 or more appearances in a Pittsburgh uniform...The only other left-handed pitcher with more Being out-hit .................16-58 games than Watson (401) is Wilbur Cooper, who made 469 appearances (368 starts) with Pittsburgh between 1912 and Hits are equal ..................8-5 1924...Tony has made the most appearances (358) among all Major League southpaws since 2012. CUTCH ON THE RISE: Andrew McCutchen has gone 17-for-43 (.395) with four home runs and 13 RBI during his current Comeback wins .................30 10-game hitting streak...He is hitting .309 (25-for-81) with six homers and 18 RBI in 21 games this month and has reached Wins in final AB ................. 12 base safely in 29 of his last 30 games, dating back to 8/23 (.385 OBP and a .932 OPS in that time)...McCutchen’s 18 RBI this month are tied for the second-most among all National League players. Walkoff Wins ....................3 THE FINAL STAND: The Pirates begin their final homestand of the 2016 regular season tonight...In addition to this three-game Losses in final AB ................ 12 set with the Nationals, the seven-game homestand includes four games against the Cubs beginning Monday night...The Bucs, Walkoff Losses ...................4 who are 36-38 at PNC Park this season, have gone 2-9 in their last 11 home games and 3-13 in their last 16. LET’S GET IT ON: The Pirates rank first among all Major League teams with a .362 on-base percentage during the month of Extra Inning Games .............7-4 September...Over the last three years (2014-2016), Pittsburgh’s .340 on-base percentage in the month of September also leads all Major League teams (Texas is second at .336). Playing errorless ............. 45-38 RECORD HOLDER: Juan Nicasio struck out one batter Wednesday and has now recorded at least one strikeout in 31 straight Homered ................... 55-34 appearances, a single-season club record for a Pirates relief pitcher...The 31-game K streak is the longest in MLB this season 2+ homers ...................27-11 and is the longest since Cincinnati’s Aroldis Chapman whiffed at least one batter in 37 straight games in 2014 (source: Elias). FELIPE EN EL FUEGO: Felipe Rivero has produced a 1.50 ERA (24.0ip/4er) and 35 strikeouts in 24 games with the Pirates Series (W-L-T) ..............23-21-5 since making his first appearance with the club in Milwaukee on 7/31 after being acquired in a trade for Mark Melancon the Series Sweeps ....................6 day before...Over his last 37 games, dating back to 6/19, Rivero has posted a 1.25 ERA (43.1ip/6er) and 50 strikeouts; his 1.25 ERA in that time is the lowest among all National League left-handed relief pitchers (minimum: 40.0ip). Swept in a Series .................8 SELECT COMPANY: Andrew McCutchen has hit 24 home runs this season and his 175 career homers are one shy of tying Interleague ...................9-11 Barry Bonds (176) for fourth place on the club’s all-time list...McCutchen is just one of four Pittsburgh players to hit at least 20 home runs in six or more consecutive seasons, joining Ralph Kiner (1946-1952) Frank Thomas (1953-1958) and Willie Before the break .............46-43 Stargell (1964-1976). After the break ............... 30-33 ON THIS DATE IN PIRATES HISTORY Starter goes 6.0ip+ ........... 46-25 Starter goes less than 6.0ip ....... 30-51 September 23, 2013: The Pirates clinched their first postseason berth since 1992 with a 2-1 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Starling Marte’s home run off Kevin Gregg in the 9th inning broke a 1-1 tie. Mark Melancon surrendered a game-tying run in the 8th inning prior to Marte’s heroics. Chicago’s Nate Schierholtz was thrown out at the plate to end the game. UP-COMING GAMES AND PROBABLE PITCHERS Saturday vs. Washington 7:05 RHP Joe Ross (7-5, 3.48 ERA) vs. RHP Ivan Nova (12-7, 4.19 ERA) ROOT Sunday vs. Washington 1:35 TBA vs. LHP Steven Brault (0-3, 4.26 ERA) ROOT 50 - RHP JAMESON TAILLON (PRONOUNCED TIE-own) YEAR W-L ERA G GS CG SHO IP H R ER BB SO 2016 (AAA) 4-2 2.04 10 10 0 0 61.2 44 14 14 6 61 2016 (MLB) 4-4 3.39 16 16 0 0 93.0 92 36 35 14 74 M.L. CAREER 4-4 3.39 16 16 0 0 93.0 92 36 35 14 74 vs. WASHINGTON: Is making his first career appearance tonight. 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 MINOR LEAGUES Was on the D.L. with right shoulder fatigue from July 3 (retro to June 30) to July 19 4/13 at Toledo W 6.0 5 1 1 0 6 85 1.50 4-2 W 4/18 vs. Toledo ND 4.1 7 2 2 0 4 89 2.61 4-2 W 7/19 vs. Milwaukee ND 6.0 5 1 1 0 3 65 3.44 3-2 W 4/23 at Louisville W 6.0 1 0 0 0 6 88 1.65 1-0 W 7/24 vs. Philadelphia ND 6.0 8 4 3 0 7 84 3.60 5-4 W 4/28 at Norfolk ND 7.0 5 1 1 2 7 89 1.54 5-6 L 7/30 at Milwaukee L 6.0 6 2 2 0 6 91 3.52 3-5 L APRIL (2-0, 1.54 ERA) 23.1 18 4 4 2 23 351 JULY (0-1, 3.00 ERA) 18.0 19 7 6 0 16 240 5/3 vs.