San Diego @ Pittsburgh preview
PNC Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 23, 2010 ) San Diego 5, Pittsburgh 3
Mat Latos had been sidelined because he tried to stifle a sneeze. Now he is back and will try to stifle the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday when the San Diego Padres look for another win at PNC Park.
Latos (10-4, 2.45 ERA) is expected to come off the disabled list on Saturday and will make his first start since July 8. He has been out with a strained muscle on his left side, an injury he sustained while trying to control a sneeze.
Before the odd injury, Latos was on fire and a big reason the Padres had opened up a little breathing room atop the NL West. The big right-hander has not lost in six starts since a 3-2 setback against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 4.
The 22-year-old Latos is 7-1 in his last 10 outings and had yielded just one run and 18 hits in 27 2/3 innings in his previous four starts before going on the disabled list. In his last 10 starts, Latos has given up more than two runs just once - again, in the loss at Philadelphia.
With Latos back and the Pirates floundering once again, chances are pretty good that the Padres will continue their history of success on the road against the Pirates. San Diego is 21-9 at PNC Park and has not lost a series in Pittsburgh since 2000 - back then the Pirates played in Three Rivers Stadium.
Pittsburgh will be facing Latos for the first time in a game that features both the team with the best record in the National League - San Diego is 56-39 - and the team with the worst in Pittsburgh (34-62).
The Pirates have lost two straight and are 6-11 against teams from the NL West this season. Pittsburgh has at least been reasonably competitive at home this season (23-24), and is 4-4 at home since the All-Star break.
Jeff Karstens, who was born in San Diego, gets the start for the Pirates.
Karstens (2-5, 4.84) has not won since June 19, going 0-3 in his last five starts. He will be starting against the Padres for the first time after facing them twice in relief in his career, going 0-1 with a 19.29 ERA in 2 1/3 innings.
Pittsburgh center fielder Andrew McCutchen missed his fifth consecutive game Friday due to a sprained right shoulder. He began hitting off a tee on Thursday and the Pirates are hopeful to have him back in the lineup by Tuesday when they start a six-game road trip in Colorado if not this weekend.