KANSAS CITY ROYALS (52-99) vs. PITTSBURGH PIRATES (76-74) September 19, 2018 at PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA --- GAME #151/HOME #77 RHP HEATH FILLMYER (3-1, 4.76 ERA) vs. RHP CHRIS ARCHER (4-8, 4.66 ERA) THE PIRATES...have won four straight games and five of their last six...Have gone 10-3 in their last 13 games and 12-6 in their last 18...Have gone 23-25 in their last 48 games after winning 11 in a row between 7/11-24...Have produced a 36-27 record since July 7 and have gone 40-33 in their last 73 games, dating back to 6/25... Were a season-high nine games over .500 following the action on 5/17 (26-17)...Were 68-82 after 150 games in 2017 (68-83 after 151). HOME COOKIN’: The Pirates have won each of their last seven home games and have gone 9-3 in their last 12...In their last 15 games played at PNC Park, the Bucco pitching staff has recorded a 2.07 ERA (139.0ip/32er) while the team has gone 9-6... BUCS WHEN... Dating back to last season, the Pirates have won 11 straight home games played during the month of September...With a Last five games ................ 4-1 42-34 record at PNC Park this season, the Bucs have secured a winning campaign at home for the sixth time in the last seven years...Pittsburgh’s 323-238 home record since 2012 is tied for the fifth-best in MLB (fourth-best in the National League). Last ten games ................. 7-3 START ME UP: Since making his first start in the 2013 season on 6/1, Chris Archer ranks second in the Major Leagues with Leading after 6 ................ 61-6 181 starts - second only to Max Scherzer (183) in that time...His 944.1ip since 2014 ranks 11th among all big league hurlers. Tied after 6 ................... 10-8 SELECT COMPANY: Chris Archer has recorded 1153 strikeouts since making his first start of the 2013 season on June 1.... He ranks fifth in Ks among all Major League pitchers in that time behind Max Scherzer (1506), Chris Sale (1410), Corey Kluber Trailing after 6 ................5-60 (1301) and Clayton Kershaw (1209)...Justin Verlander is sixth with 1149. Leading after 7 ................64-3 RECORD-SETTING RELIEVERS: For the first time in club history, the Pirates have two relief pitchers with at least 80 strikeouts in the same season...Felipe Vázquez has whiffed 83 batters and Richard Rodriguez has punched out 82, which is also two Tied after 7 ....................6-8 shy of the club rookie reocrd for a relief pitcher (righthander Blas Minor had 84 in 1993). Trailing after 7 ................ 5-63 HOW MAY I ASSIST YOU?: The Pirates recorded two outfield assists Tuesday night and lead all National League teams with 32 this season (the Tigers lead the Majors with 34)...The Bucs had 33 outfield assists last year and 35 in 2016. Leading after 8 ................64-2 INTERLEAGUE BELL RINGER: In 41 career games against A.L. teams, Josh Bell is hitting .333 (45-for-135) with nine doubles, Tied after 8 .................... 7-2 six home runs and 32 RBI...Bell has reached base safely in 24 of his last 25 interleague games. Trailing after 8 ................4-70 GOLDEN IN LEFT FIELD: Among all National League left fielders, Corey Dickerson ranks first with a .996 fielding percentage and .958 zone rating....He has made one error in 253 total chances and is tied for second with his career-high seven assists. Scoring first ..................53-22 OWNING THE A.L.: The Pirates have posted a 14-5 record in interleague play this season, which is the second-best mark in Opp. score first ................23-52 the Majors behind the Red Sox (16-4)...Since the beginning of the 2013 season, Pittsburgh’s 72-47 record during interleague Scoring 4+ ...................59-23 play is also the second-best in all of MLB behind Boston (82-38)...Pittsburgh’s 14 wins in interleague play are the second- most in a single season in club history (the 2013 club went 15-5 against the A.L.). Scoring less than 4 .............17-51 BREW CREW UP NEXT: Following a day off tomorrow, the Pirates will wrap up their final homestand of the season with a Outhitting Opp. ...............49-12 three-game series against the Brewers beginning Friday night...The Bucs have posted a 6-1 record against Milwaukee at PNC Park this season and are 11-5 overall in 2018...The Pirates have won five straight games against the Brewers in Pittsburgh Being out-hit .................17-54 for the first time since winning six in a row here during the 2013 season. Hits are equal ................. 10-8 IN SELECT COMPANY: In his Major League career, Starling Marte has produced five seasons with at least 40 extra-base hits and 30 stolen bases...Only three other players in team history have accomplished this feat; Honus Wagner (10 times), Max Comeback wins .................28 Carey (seven times) and Barry Bonds (six times). Wins in final AB ................. 14 LEGGING THEM OUT: The Pirates have produced seven infield hits in the last two games...Only the Cubs (151) have produced Walkoff Wins ....................7 more infield hits overall this season than the Bucs (142) in Major League Baseball...Starling Marte leads all National League players with 29 infield hits (Milwaukee’s Lorenzo Cain is second with 27). Losses in final AB ................ 12 YOUNG BUC: Kevin Newman went 3-for-5 Monday night and has gone 9-for-23 (.391) with a double and four RBI during Walk-off Losses ..................5 his current six-game hitting streak...The Pirates have posted a 9-2 record in Newman’s 11 starts at shortstop this season. Extra Inning Games .............6-4 SANTANA SO SMOOTH: Edgar Santana has produced a 0.00 ERA (21.1ip/1r/0er) in his last 21 games at PNC Park and has Playing errorless ............. 50-35 been scored upon just three times in his last 32 appearances overall (32.1ip/5er), dating back to the beginning of July...His 68 appearances this season are tied with John Grabow for the fifth-most in a single season by a Pirates rookie (Rich Loiselle Homered ................... 50-35 ranks fourth with 72 in 1997)...Matt Capps appeared in a club rookie-record 85 games in 2006. 2+ homers ...................23-15 20/30 VISION: With 19 home runs and 32 stolen bases, Starling Marte is one homer shy of becoming just the third player in team history to produce at least 20 home runs and 30 steals in the same season...Barry Bonds accomplished the feat four Series (W-L-T) ..............22-21-6 times (1987, 1990-92) and Andy Van Slyke did it twice (1987-88). Series Sweeps ....................8 ROOKIE ROLLING: Richard Rodríguez leads all National League rookie relief pitchers with 82 strikeous and is tied for third Swept in a Series .................6 among all Major League rookie relievers in that department...The only two rookie relievers in MLB with more punchouts are Tampa Bay’s Ryan Yarbrough (95) and Los Angeles’ Noe Ramirez (88)...His 82 strikeouts are the most by a Pirates rookie Interleague ...................14-5 reliever since righthander Blas Minor set the club rookie record with 84 Ks in 1993. Before the break .............48-49 ON THIS DATE IN PIRATES HISTORY After the break ............... 28-25 September 19, 1990: The Pirates beat the Cubs, 8-7, at Wrigley Field in a game that featured milestones for two different players. With his 30th Starter goes 6.0ip+ ............52-29 and 31st home runs of the season, Barry Bonds became part of the first father-son combo to both join the “30-30” club. The other milestone Starter goes less than 6.0ip .......23-45 in the game was Doug Drabek winning his 20th game of the season. UP-COMING GAMES AND PROBABLE PITCHERS Thursday OFF DAY IN PITTSBURGH Friday vs. Milwaukee 7:05 RHP Jhoulys Chacín (14-8, 3.54 ERA) vs. RHP Ivan Nova (9-9, 4.07 ERA) AT&T SportsNet Saturday vs. Milwaukee 7:05 RHP Zach Davies (2-6, 4.66 ERA) vs. RHP Trevor Williams (13-9, 3.16 ERA) AT&T SportsNet Sunday vs. Milwaukee 1:35 LHP Wade Miley (5-2, 2.08 ERA) vs. RHP Joe Musgrove (6-9, 4.06 ERA) AT&T SportsNet 24 - RHP CHRIS ARCHER YEAR W-L ERA G GS CG SHO IP H R ER BB SO 2018 (Tampa Bay) 3-5 4.31 17 17 0 0 96.0 102 50 46 31 102 2018 (Pittsburgh) 1-3 5.49 8 8 0 0 39.1 43 26 24 15 43 M.L. CAREER 55-71 3.76 187 185 3 3 1102.1 1003 513 460 362 1189 vs. KANSAS CITY: 1-4 with a 4.50 ERA (40.0ip/20er) in six career starts - all as a member of the Rays...Lost each of his first four decisions before tossing 8.0 scoreless innings and recording 11 strikeouts while winning a 12-1 decision on 5/10/17...Has also gone 6-9 with a 3.44 ERA (131.0ip/50er) in 22 career starts during interleague play. 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 3/29 vs. Boston ND 6.0 6 4 4 1 6 81 6.00 6-4 W 7/22 vs.