Pittsburgh @ Houston preview
Minute Maid Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 24, 2010 ) Pittsburgh 2, Houston 5
The Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates are going in opposite directions as they prepare for today’s finale of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.
The Astros have won seven of their last nine games after a disastrous 0-8 start. While Houston still figure to have hitting troubles this year, their pitching staff is shaping up to be one of the best in baseball.
Meanwhile, the Pirates have the majors’ longest losing streak at five games and have fallen into a fourth-place tie with the Astros in the National League Central, three games out of first place.
Among the causes for Pittsburgh’s recent demise has been horrible starting pitching. With just 10 percent of the season passed, Pirates manager John Russell has already used seven different pitchers to start games.
What’s even more disturbing is that three of them sport earned run averages of 13.50 or higher, including today’s starter, Charlie Morton.
But Pittsburgh simply has to get innings out of Morton after using five relief pitchers in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to Houston. That was necessitated because of a first-inning injury to starting pitcher Chris Jakubauskas.
Jakubauskas, who was making his first appearance for Pittsburgh, was struck on the head by a line drive from Lance Berkman in the first inning. He was hospitalized overnight for observation. Results from a CT scan were negative.
Trying to find the bright side for a struggling right-hander who has lost all of his starts and has a 16.55 ERA is not easy, but Morton did last six innings in his second start of the season.
He’s also shown good control, fanning 10 and walking just four in 10 1/3 innings.
Among the main criticisms of Morton is a lack of aggressiveness, so perhaps against the Astros - who rank next-to-last in the majors in runs scored - he will be more confident to throw fastballs to challenge Houston’s hitters.
Morton will also be aided by a full bench. Infielders Bobby Crosby and Andy LaRoche had both been sidelined last week with injuries but returned to the lineup Saturday.
While it seems unlikely Crosby will be back at first base today against Houston right-handed starter Brett Myers, LaRoche is the Pirates’ regular third baseman and figures to be in the lineup again. He collected two hits Saturday to raise his average to .258.
Myers is still looking for his first victory in an Astros uniform despite three reasonably strong starts in 2010. He’s thrown at least six innings in each start and has not been touched for more than four earned runs in any of them.
In seven career starts against the Bucs, Myers is 3-4 with a 2.64 ERA.
After this game the Pirates travel to Milwaukee, where they have lost 21 straight games, for a three-game series. Houston hosts Cincinnati for three games after a day off Monday.