JULY 9, 2015 at PNC PARK --- GAME #85, HOME #45 RHP CARLOS MARTINEZ (9-3, 2.70 ERA) Vs
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ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (55-30) vs. PITTSBURGH PIRATES (50-34) JULY 9, 2015 AT PNC PARK --- GAME #85, HOME #45 RHP CARLOS MARTINEZ (9-3, 2.70 ERA) vs. LHP JEFF LOCKE (5-4, 4.15 ERA) THE PIRATES...have won five straight games, eight of their last nine and 10 of their last 12...Are a season-high 16 games over .500...Won a season-high, eight straight games from 6/12-18...Have the best record in the Major Leagues (37-18) since 5/9...Were 44-40 after 84 games last season (44-41 after 85). WALK THE PLANK: In the last 24 games played against the Cardinals at PNC Park, the Pirates have gone 17-7...In those 24 games (dating back to 8/2/8/12), the pitching staff has posted a 2.85 ERA (218.0ip/69er) while surrendering two earned runs or fewer 13 times...The Bucs have gone 7-0-1 in their last eight series played against St. Louis at PNC Park, dating back to August of 2012. BUCS WHEN... Last five games ............ 5-0 50-50: The Cardinals (55) and Pirates (50) are the only two teams in the Major Leagues with at least 50 wins this season. Last ten games ............ 8-2 LOCKE IT UP: Dating back to his start on 5/14/13, the Pirates have gone 23-11 in Jeff Locke’s last 34 starts at PNC Park and 15-4 in his last 19...Locke has gone 7-3 with a 2.90 ERA (121.0ip/39er) in his last 19 home starts. Leading after 6 ........... 41-4 LOCKED IN: Jeff Locke gave up just two hits over 8.0 scoreless innings while retiring the final 19 batters he faced while Tied after 6 ............... 6-6 winning a 1-0 decision over Cleveland’s Cody Anderson in his last start - Saturday afternoon at PNC Park...Locke has posted a 1.55 ERA (29.0ip/5er) in his last five starts and has produced the fourth-lowest ERA in the National League since 6/12. Trailing after 6 ........... 3-24 SWEEP STAKES: Last night’s 5-2, come-from-behind win over the Padres gave the Pirates their Major-League leading 10th Leading after 7 ........... 42-1 series sweep of the season...The 10 sweeps (of at least two games) are the most since the 1998 team also recorded 10. Tied after 7 ............... 8-6 FOUR YOUR INFORMATION: The Pirates are 37-7 this year, and 21-2 in their last 23 games, when scoring at least four runs. Trailing after 7 ........... 0-27 COMING BACK: Each of the last four wins by the Pirates, and five of the last seven, have been comeback victories...Last night’s victory was Pittsburgh’s 22nd come-from-behind win of the season, which is tied for third-most among all teams. Leading after 8 ........... 44-1 SAVING GRACE: Mark Melancon currently shares the Major League lead in saves (28) and is one shy of the club record for Tied after 8 ............... 6-8 most saves prior to the All-Star break (Jason Grilli had 29 in 2013)...The 2013 and 2015 All-Star has also converted a club record-tying 26 straight save opportunities (also Joel Hanrahan in 2011) and 28 of his 29 chances this season. Trailing after 8 ........... 0-25 STREAKING BUCCO: Andrew McCutchen has hit safely in a career-high 15 straight games (19-for-50, .380)...It the longest Scoring first ............. 30-7 streak by a Pittsburgh player since Josh Harrison hit safely in 15 consecutive games in September last season...It is also the second-longest current streak in the Majors behind Colorado’s Troy Tulowitzki (20 games). Opp. score first. 20-27 START ME UP: Pittsburgh starting pitchers have won 38 games this season, ranking second behind St. Louis (39) for the most Scoring 4+ .............. 37-7 among all Major League teams...The Bucco starters have gone 4-1 with a 2.10 ERA (55.2ip/13er) in the last eight games and 5-2 with a 2.40 ERA (86.1ip/23er) in the last 13 games. Scoring less than 4 ....... 13-27 PITCHING AT PNC PARK: The Pirates have posted the second-best home ERA (2.63) in Major League Baseball, trailing Outhitting Opp. ........... 37-5 only the St. Louis Cardinals (2.31)...In their last 18 games at PNC Park, the Pittsburgh pitching staff has posted a 1.87 ERA (173.0ip/40r/36er) and six shutouts...Entering tonight’s action, Bucco pitchers have gone 20-6 with a 1.84 ERA (245.0ip/50er) Being out-hit ............. 8-25 in the last 26 games played at PNC Park, dating back to 5/22. Hits are equal ............. 5-4 THE COMFORTS OF HOME: The Pirates are 5-1 in a stretch that has them scheduled to play 10 straight games at home lead- ing up to the All-Star break...The Bucs have won 14 of their last 18 games played in Pittsburgh and have gone 20-6 in their last Comeback wins. 22 26...Since the start of the 2013 season, only the Cardinals have won more home games (137) than the Pirates (130) in MLB. Wins in final AB. 8 RIDING THE BULL: Bucco first baseman Pedro Alvarez has hit 14 home runs and collected 44 RBI against the Cardinals Walkoff Wins ................4 since the beginning of the 2012 season, which are the highest totals by any player in the Majors..The next closest player in home runs is Cincinnati’s Jay Bruce (10) and the next closest player in RBI is Milwaukee’s Aramis Ramirez (39). Losses in Last AB ...........12 MAKE THAT A DOUBLE: Andrew McCutchen enters tonight’s action tied for the National League lead with 24 doubles; the Walkoff Losses ..............8 most two-baggers by a Pittsburgh player prior to the All-Star break since Nate McLouth had a club-record 33 in 2008...Since the start of the 2010 season, McCutchen leads all National League players with 198 doubles. Extra Inning Games ......... 4-7 COMING UP HUGHES: Jared Hughes has made 12 consecutive scoreless appearances (13.0ip) and has been scored upon Playing errorless ........ 29-17 just once in his last 16 games (16.1ip/1er)...He has posted a 1.21 ERA (22.1ip/3er) in 24 appearances at PNC Park this season and has been scored upon once in his last 17 home games (16.1ip/1er), dating back to 5/5. Homered ............... 27-16 THE STARS HAVE ALIGNED: A.J. Burnett, Gerrit Cole, Andrew McCutchen and Mark Melancon have been named to the 2+ homers .............. 12-3 National League All-Star team...This marks the fifth straight season in which the Pirates have had multiple players named Series (W-L-T) .........15-10-3 to the squad - the longest such streak for the club since a 12-year stretch of more than one player being named to the team from 1958 thru 1969...The selections of Burnett and Cole give the Pirates two starting pitchers in the Midsummer Classic for Series Sweeps ..............10 the first time since 1960 when Bob Friend and Vernon Law were two of the eight Pirate All-Stars that year. Swept in a Series ............4 CASHING IN AT PNC: Andrew McCutchen is hitting .398 (35-for-88) in his last 26 home games and connected for his 65th career home run at PNC Park on Friday, tops among all players in the 15 years of play at the ballpark...McCutchen also leads Interleague .............. 10-5 all players in career RBI (262) at PNC Park and ranks second to Jack Wilson (612) with 549 hits. Before the break. 50-34 ON THIS DATE IN PIRATES HISTORY After the break ............ 0-0 July 9, 1971: The Pirates turn the first triple play of the 1971 season. Atlanta’s Leo Foster hits a grounder to third Starter goes 6.0ip+ ...... 41-21 baseman Richie Hebner, who stepped on third, and then threw to Dave Cash at second. Cash’s relay to Bob Robertson Starter goes less than 6.0ip ..9-13 at first nipped Foster to complete the play as the Pirates rolled past the Braves 11-2. UP-COMING GAMES AND PROBABLE PITCHERS Friday vs. St. Louis 7:05 RHP Lance Lynn (6-4, 2.53 ERA) vs. RHP Gerrit Cole (12-3, 2.28 ERA) ROOT Saturday vs. St. Louis 7:15 RHP John Lackey (7-5, 3.09 ERA) vs. RHP A.J. Burnett (7-3, 1.99 ERA) FOX Sunday vs. St. Louis 8:05 TBD vs. LHP Francisco Liriano (5-6, 2.99 ERA) ESPN ALL-STAR BREAK 49 - LHP JEFF LOCKE YEAR W-L ERA G GS CG SHO IP H R ER BB SO 2014 7-6 3.91 21 21 0 0 131.1 127 63 57 40 89 2015 5-4 4.15 16 16 0 0 91.0 95 46 42 33 70 M.L. CAREER 23-23 4.03 79 77 0 0 439.2 425 211 197 178 323 vs. ST. LOUIS: 2-2 with a 3.82 ERA (33.0ip/14er) in six career starts...0-0 with a 4.05 ERA in one start this season; had a no-decision in a 4-3 win on 5/10 at PNC Park (6.2ip/3er)...Gave up one run in 7.1ip and beat Adam Wainwright last year on 8/27 at PNC Park and lost a 6-4 decision (3.0ip+/5r/4er) on 9/2 at Busch...Also tossed 7.0 scoreless innings while winning a 9-0 decision on 4/28/13 at Busch and suffered a 5-0 loss to Wainwright at Busch on 9/7/13 (5.0ip/3r/2er).