Pirates/MLB
Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates (39-38) @ Toronto Blue Jays (39-40)
PIT Kevin Correia vs Jo-jo Reyes (3-6, 4.34 ERA)
Pre-Game Buzz
Tabata placed on DL/Harrison recalled
— The Pirates this afternoon placed left fielder Jose Tabata on the 15-day DL. Tabata has been diagnosed with a left quad strain. He was hitting .333 in his last 18 games.
The Pirates hope the injury doesn’t linger like the one to Pedro Alvarez has.
With Tabata going on the DL, infielder Josh Harrison has been recalled.
Presley to bat leadoff
Alex Presley will make his season debut (19GP in 2010) and the Pirates will have two rookies in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the lineup.
Presley who was hitting .336 in Triple-A Indianapolis, will bat leadoff tonight and third baseman Chase d’Arnaud (.250) will bat in the No. 2 spot.
Presley had 18 stolen bases in Triple-A, while d’Arnaud stole 17 bases.
Pirates in midst of 13-game Interleague skid
Until their weekend home series against the Boston Red Sox, things have been bad for the Pirates in Interleague play, especially on the road.
The Pirates enter tonight’s game in the midst of a 13 game Interleague losing streak on the road. The skid dates back to June 2009.
The Major League record is 15 games, according to STATs. The Dodgers hold the record.
Correia 7-2 on the road
Kevin Correia to looks to reach 10 wins on the season. Correia has been excellent on the road, posting a 7-2 record with a 2.34 ERA.
He’s coming off a loss in his latest road game to the Cleveland Indians, where he allowed 1 earned run.
Bautista moving back to third base
Former Pirate Jose Bautista is expected to start at third base tonight against his former team.
Bautista who is hitting .328 with 23 homers and 49 RBI’s, has been hot of late, hitting .386 with 2 homers and 3 RBI’s in his last 5 games.
Pirates Lineup
1. Alex Presley, LF
2. Chase d’Arnaud, 3B
3. Neil Walker, 2B
4. Andrew McCutchen, CF
5. Lyle Overbay, 1B
6. Matt Diaz, DH
7. Garrett Jones, RF
8. Ronny Cedeno, SS
9. Mike McKenry, C
Kevin Correia, P
