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Pirates-Cubs Preview

Aug 15, 2009 - 12:19 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Pittsburgh (46-68) at Chicago (58-55), 1:05 p.m. EDT

Tom Gorzelanny's luck at Wrigley Field has been anything but positive during his career, but he might have the right recipe for success in his next start on the North Side - pitching to the Pittsburgh Pirates instead of for them.

The Chicago-area native will face his former club in his home debut at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon as the Cubs look to build on their best offensive performance of the season.

Gorzelanny (4-2, 6.23 ERA) seemed to be emerging as one of the NL's top young starters after going 14-10 with a 3.88 ERA in 2007 with the Pirates (46-69), but he posted a 6.57 ERA in the first three months of 2008, and was relegated to the minors last July.

Aside from four starts late last season and three weeks in Pittsburgh's bullpen in May and June, Gorzelanny remained with Triple-A Indianapolis until he was traded along with reliever John Grabow to Chicago (59-55) on July 30.

"I went through a lot last year," Gorzelanny told the Cubs' official Web site. "... I had a good offseason to get it back together. This deep in the season, I've felt better than I have in the past."

With Ted Lilly recovering from left shoulder inflammation, Gorzelanny has stepped into Chicago's rotation. His two starts have produced mixed results. After holding Cincinnati to one run over 7 1-3 innings in a win Aug. 4, the left-hander was shelled for six runs in 1 1-3 innings Monday in an 11-5 loss at Colorado.

Now, the native of Chicago's South Side will try to bounce back against the team that drafted him in 2003.

"It's going to be interesting facing the old 'mates," Gorzelanny told the Pirates' official Web site. "It will be great, being my first start here in Chicago, my hometown. Being against the old team that I used to play for is kind of an add-on. I'm not going to try and think about any of those."

Gorzelanny is 2-4 with a 6.32 ERA in six career games at Wrigley, including 0-3 with a 12.56 ERA in his last three starts.

His job may be considerably easier, however, against a scuffling Pittsburgh lineup. The Pirates have averaged 2.9 runs in losing 16 of 19, totaling three runs in their last three games.

The Cubs came into this series averaging 3.4 runs while losing seven of eight, but didn't have trouble scoring Friday. Derrek Lee tied a career high with seven RBIs, three coming in Chicago's 10-run second inning en route to a 17-2 win.

The 14 runs the Cubs scored in the first two innings were the most they'd scored that fast since June 7, 1906 - 10 years before they moved into Wrigley.

"It was fun. I think this team needed it," Lee said. "We had some built-up frustration the way the Phillies beat on us for three days."

Chicago will try to stay hot Saturday against Zach Duke (9-10, 3.40), who's 1-5 with a 4.02 ERA in his last eight starts. He gave up three runs over 7 1-3 innings against St. Louis on Sunday and was in line for a victory, but the Pirates' bullpen imploded in a 7-3 loss.

Pittsburgh's relief corps has a 7.52 ERA since July 25.

Duke won his first four career decisions against the Cubs - three of them at Wrigley - with an ERA of less than a run. He hasn't beaten them since, however, going 0-6 with a 4.30 ERA in 11 outings since Aug. 5, 2006.

Alfonso Soriano is a .455 hitter against Duke, and two Cubs who should return Saturday have fared well against him as well. Former Pirates Aramis Ramirez, who sat out with a head cold Friday, is batting .314 against Duke. Milton Bradley, expected to return from a shoulder injury, is hitting .500 (5 for 10).