Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh preview
PNC Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 17, 2010 ) Cincinnati 4, Pittsburgh 5
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been delivering plenty of thrills at PNC Park this season. Paul Maholm hopes to continue the trend today when he tries to help the Pirates complete a three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds.
After winning two of three against the Los Angeles Dodgers in their season-opening home series, one of which came in their final at-bat, the Pirates have posted consecutive walk-off victories over the Reds.
On Saturday, Lastings Milledge - who provided the winning hit a day earlier - drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk from Cincinnati closer Francisco Cordero to forge a tie before Garrett Jones belted a shot off the wall in right-center field for a game-winning single.
Jones' hit gave Pittsburgh back-to-back walk-off triumphs for the first time since May 24-25, 2008. It also marked the first time the Pirates have won their first two home series in a season since 1992.
Maholm, who is responsible for Pittsburgh's lone loss at PNC Park this campaign, will attempt to deal Cincinnati its fifth straight setback. The 27-year old left-hander owns a 4-4 record in 15 career outings against the Reds.
After yielding four runs in six innings in a loss to the Dodgers on April 8, Maholm gave up three runs in five frames against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday but did not figure in the decision in Pittsburgh's 6-5 victory.
Maholm will need to find a way to keep Brandon Phillips in check. Cincinnati's star second baseman has a lifetime average of .412 (14-for-34) against Maholm with four home runs and nine RBIs.
A former Pirate, right-hander Bronson Arroyo will attempt to become the first member of the Reds' starting rotation to notch a win this season. The 33-year old, who was tagged for five runs in six innings by Florida on Tuesday, is 4-3 in nine lifetime starts against the club with which he began his major league career.
Joey Votto returned to the starting lineup for Cincinnati on Saturday and posted his second three-hit game of the season while driving in a run, scoring twice and stealing a base. Votto did not start Friday's contest due to illness but pinch-hit later in the game.
Reds third baseman Scott Rolen missed his second straight game with a sore back.
Pittburgh's Delwyn Young made his second career start at third base in place of Andy LaRoche, who left Friday's victory with back spasms.
The Pirates' perfect mark on stolen-base attempts was erased Saturday, when Andrew McCutchen was caught stealing second by Ramon Hernandez in the seventh inning. Pittsburgh had been successful in its first 11 steal attempts this campaign, with McCutchen accounting for six swipes.