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		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Arizona Diamondbacks 8/6/2008</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:29:36 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Karstens flirts with perfection as Pirates top D-Backs]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[PHOENIX (Ticker) -- After his first inning, Jeff Karstens 
thought it would be a long afternoon.  Instead, it nearly was a 
perfect day.

Karstens carried a perfect game into the eighth inning, helping 
the Pittsburgh Pirates edge the Arizona Diamondbacks, 2-0, on 
Wednesday

Karstens (2-0), who was acquired from the New York Yankees on 
July 26, came within four outs of throwing the first perfect 
game in the franchise's 122-year history and the 18th in major 
league history.

The 25-year-old righthander retired 23 straight batters before 
Chris Young drilled a 1-1 hanging curveball down the left field 
line for a two-out double.

"It was one of those things and he (Young) stayed on a pitch and
hit it down the line," said Karstens, who threw six scoreless 
innings against Chicago on Friday in his first start as a 
Pirate. "Major league hitters are going to do that."

However, his start was inauspicious as he allowed a pair of deep
fly balls to Orlando Hudson and Conor Jackson.

"After the first inning, I thought it was going to be a long 
day," said Karstens, who was acquired in the deal that sent 
Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte to New York. "They hit all those 
balls hard.  Sometimes it's better to be luck than good."

"Obviously he was outstanding," Pirates manager John Russell 
said.  "No hitter in the eighth and he threw the ball as good as
he can throw it.  That is what he is capable of."

Ironically, losing pitcher Randy Johnson (9-8) - a former 
teammate of Karstens - threw the last perfect game in 2004 
against Atlanta.  Karstens left his former Yankees teammate 
thoroughly impressed.

"Jeff pitched outstanding," Johnson said.  "I got to see him a 
little bit when he was in New York on that shuttle up and down 
(from the minors to the majors).  You got to see him pitch and 
he opened a lot of eyes."

Karstens, who also had a pair of hits, kept the free-swinging 
Diamondbacks on their heels with an array of breaking balls and 
off-speed pitches, throwing 72 of 113 pitches for strikes and 
reaching a three-ball count just three times.  However, Young 
ended Karstens' bid to become the first Pirate to throw a 
no-hitter since Francisco Cordova and Ricardo Rincon combined on
a 10-inning no-hitter against Houston on July 12, 1997.

He settled for a two-hit shut out and his first complete game in
his 11th major league start.

Karstens came back out for the ninth and issued his first walk 
to Augie Ojeda but snagged a grounder from Tony Clark to start a
1-6-3 double play.  After a single by Stephen Drew, Karstens got
Hudson to ground out to end it.

"You have to give him credit," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. 
"It wasn't overpowering, but he kept that ball out from over the
middle of the plate, mixed it up and changed it up as the game 
went along."

It may not have been easy, but Karstens sure made it look so.  
The Diamondbacks had little to speak of in terms of close calls 
before Young's double.

Mark Reynolds, who had two of the hardest-hit balls off 
Karstens.   He drilled a long fly ball to center field in the 
fifth that forced Jason Michaels to the warning track.   And, in
the eighth, after Karstens got Chad Tracy to fly out to center, 
Reynolds hit a hot shot to third that Chris Gomez bobbled before
throwing him out by a step.

Young then spoiled the quest for perfection by pulling the 
hanging breaking ball down the left field line.

Karstens was handed a 2-0 lead thanks to a solo homer from 
Freddy Sanchez in the fourth and an RBI double from Doug 
Mientkiewicz in the eighth.

A future Hall of Famer, Johnson yielded two runs and seven hits 
in 7 1/3 innings and was denied his 294th career win.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/69631-Karstens-flirts-with-perfection-as-Pirates-top-D-Backs</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/69631-Karstens-flirts-with-perfection-as-Pirates-top-D-Backs</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 06 Aug 2008 23:54:55 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Johnson looks for sixth straight as Diamondbacks try to sweep Pirates]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Pittsburgh (51-61) at Arizona (58-54), 3:40 pm EDT

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Randy Johnson takes the mound for the 
Arizona Diamondbacks as they look to complete a three-game sweep
of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.

Johnson (9-7, 4.35 ERA) can move within six wins of 300 for his 
career and currently trails Bobby Matthews, who has 297, for 
24th on the all-time list.

The 44-year-old lefthander has won five straight starts and 
hasn't yielded an earned run in his last three outings, spanning
over 20 innings.  Johnson has issued two walks in his last five 
outings and has a 1.39 ERA in that span.

Prior to his winning streak, the Big Unit dropped seven straight
decisions, making his pursuit of victory No. 300 seem more and 
more bleak.

Jeff Karstens (1-0, 0.00) will counter for Pittsburgh with hopes
of building on his National League debut.

After being traded from the New York Yankees prior to the 
non-waiver trade deadline, Karstens tossed six scoreless innings
against the Cubs, allowing five hits while striking out two.

The Pirates have been outscored, 16-8, in this series and were 
shut down by ace Brandon Webb on Tuesday, as he tossed a 
complete game while giving up one run and nine hits.

Freddy Sanchez, Doug Mientkiewicz and Nate McLouth were a 
combined 6-for-12, but failed to do major damage to Webb and the
Diamondbacks, who won for the sixth time in eight games.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/69593-Johnson-looks-for-sixth-straight-as-Diamondbacks-try-to-sweep-Pirates</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/69593-Johnson-looks-for-sixth-straight-as-Diamondbacks-try-to-sweep-Pirates</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:16:40 GMT</pubDate>
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