Chicago @ Pittsburgh preview
PNC Park
Last Meeting ( Jun 16, 2010 ) Chi. White Sox 7, Pittsburgh 2
Say this much for Pedro Alvarez – at least he fit right in.
Alvarez will look to improve upon a forgettable major-league debut as his Pittsburgh Pirates carry a season-high 10-game losing streak into Thursday's series finale against the Chicago White Sox.
Recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Indianapolis, Alvarez became the latest young phenom to make his major-league debut. It's hoped his arrival will improve the fortunes of the sagging Pirates, who are mired in their longest stretch of futility in nearly two full years.
His first game was one he'd like to put behind him.
The third baseman finished 0-for-2 with a walk, a strikeout and a run scored. He also committed one of six Pirates errors in one of the sloppiest performances by any team so far this season.
The six-foot-three, 223-pounder is expected to be back in the starting lineup for Thursday's finale.
Jake Peavy (5-5) gets the start for the White Sox, looking for his third consecutive quality start. The erratic right-hander allowed two runs on six hits over seven innings in each of his previous two outings – a loss to Cleveland June 5, and a win over the Chicago Cubs six days ago.
Peavy has feasted on the Pirates in his career. The 29-year-old is 5-2 in eight starts all-time against Pittsburgh, with a 2.52 ERA and 73 strikeouts in just 53 2/3 innings. He last faced them in April 2009, when he surrendered five runs in just five innings on the way to an 8-3 loss.
Peavy will be hoping to get the same balanced offensive attack the White Sox used in Wednesday's 7-2 triumph. Juan Pierre, Alex Rios, Paul Konerko and Carlos Quentin each enjoyed multi-hit games for Chicago, while Quentin finished with a pair of RBIs.
Quentin could use a few more games like that one. His power numbers (8 HR, 35 RBI) are lagging, and the 27-year-old outfielder is hitting a paltry .207 on the season, with just nine hits in his past 50 at-bats dating back to May 26.
Despite winning six of their last seven games, the White Sox have failed to gain much ground in the American League Central race. They remain firmly entrenched in third place, eight games back of the division-leading Minnesota Twins.
The situation is much more straightforward for the Pirates, who are well on their way to a last-place finish in the NL Central and a record 18th consecutive losing season. They're already 13 games out of the division lead, rank near the bottom of the major leagues in most offensive categories and own the worst road record in the National League at 9-25.
Pittsburgh starter Ross Ohlendorf (0-4) takes the hill Thursday, looking for his first victory since last August. The 27-year-old right-hander sputtered in his last outing, allowing six runs on 10 hits in six innings on the way to a 6-2 loss in Detroit.
Ohlendorf is 0-1 lifetime against the White Sox, with a 7.45 ERA in two appearances.