Final
Pirates-Reds Preview
Oct 3, 2009 - 3:42 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS WriterPittsburgh (61-97) at Cincinnati (76-83), 7:10 p.m. EDT
The Pittsburgh Pirates have endured another miserable season, but they're doing their best to end it in positive fashion.
The Pirates will attempt to win their third straight series and earn their seventh victory in nine games Saturday night against the Cincinnati Reds.
Pittsburgh (62-97) clinched its 17th consecutive losing season - a record for major North American sports - earlier this month. Instead of finishing out the string, the Pirates have started winning and avoided their first 100-loss campaign since 2001 with Friday's 3-1 victory at Great American Ball Park.
Pittsburgh also snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Reds as Andy LaRoche drove in two runs. Lastings Milledge also hit a solo homer and saved a run with his backhanded catch on Joey Votto's sinking liner to left field in the sixth inning.
"When all is said and done, (avoiding 100 losses) is important, but we wanted to finish over .500 this last week or so," Milledge said. "A hundred losses or not, we wanted to finish strong. We're all playing for a spot on the roster. No one has a (guaranteed) job on this team."
Like his team, Zach Duke (11-15, 3.94 ERA) is trying to end a rough season positively by avoiding a career high for losses when he takes the mound. The left-hander took a step toward a happy ending with his performance in Monday's 11-1 victory against visiting Los Angeles
Duke came within one out of his fourth complete game this season while allowing one run and four hits. He also struck out six and walked one.
The only spoiler was manager John Russell's odd decision to pull him from his first win since Aug. 22 - against Cincinnati - after 103 pitches.
"I wanted (the complete game) pretty bad," Duke said. "I'm not gonna lie."
To earn another victory, he'll likely need a better performance against the Reds, who have beaten him twice this month. Duke has a 6.00 ERA in those outings but is 2-1 with a 4.09 ERA in four career starts in Cincinnati.
Attempting to earn their 13th win in 18 games, the Reds (76-84) will go with Johnny Cueto (10-11, 4.35), who has won three consecutive starts over the Pirates.
Cueto is 5-2 with a 3.38 ERA in seven career starts against Pittsburgh, and looks to bounce back from his first loss in more than six weeks.
The right-hander suffered the defeat Sunday in Houston, allowing three runs over 7 1-3 innings of a 3-2 loss. Cueto had beaten Pittsburgh twice in his previous four starts while posting a 2.95 ERA.
"He's shown big-time maturity this season," manager Dusty Baker told the Reds' official Web site. "He started off great then hit a bit of a lull. We have to monitor how much we pitch him (next season)."
Cueto will not have Dick Pole to help him through this start as the Reds fired their pitching coach before Friday's game. The rest of Cincinnati's coaches are expected to return in their same roles next season.
- Reds 8, Pirates 4 - FINAL
PITTSBURGH ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
A McCutchen cf 3 1 1 0 2 1 0 .284
A LaRoche 3b 4 0 1 1 0 0 2 .260
G Jones 1b 3 1 1 0 1 0 1 .294
L Milledge lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 .280
B Moss rf 1 1 0 0 3 0 0 .235
D Young 2b 4 1 3 3 0 0 1 .268
J Jaramill
Oct 3 10:03 PM - NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY JOEY VOTTO (25) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 2 OUT
IN THE 8TH OFF ANTHONY CLAGGETT.
CURRENT SCORE: PITTSBURGH 4, CINCINNATI 8
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: B PHILLIPS (.273, 0-FOR-4)
Pirates 4, Reds 8 Bot 8, 0 OutsOct 3 9:53 PM - NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE HIT BY PAUL JANISH SCORED JUAN FRANCISCO
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, NONE ON, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: PITTSBURGH 4
CINCINNATI 7 BOTTOM,6TH
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: J VOTTO (.317, 1-FOR-2, BB, 2 RBI)
Pirates 4, Reds 7 Bot 6, 0 OutsOct 3 9:05 PM - NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JUAN FRANCISCO SCORED WILLY TAVERAS
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J FRANCISCO ON SECOND, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: PITTSBURGH 4
CINCINNATI 6 BOTTOM,6TH
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: D STUBBS (.257, 0-FOR-2, BB)
Pirates 4, Reds 6 Bot 6, 0 OutsOct 3 9:02 PM - NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
THREE-RUN HOME RUN BY DELWYN YOUNG (7) TO RIGHT CENTER WITH
1 OUT IN THE 6TH OFF JOHNNY CUETO SCORED BRANDON MOSS AND
GARRETT JONES.
CURRENT SCORE: PITTSBURGH 4, CINCINNATI 5
DUE UP FOR PITTSBURGH: J JARAMILLO (.255, 0-FOR-2)
Pirates 4, Reds 5 Top 6, 0 OutsOct 3 8:47 PM - NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JOEY VOTTO SCORED PAUL JANISH AND RAMON HERNANDEZ
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, J VOTTO ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: PITTSBURGH 1
CINCINNATI 5 BOTTOM,4TH
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: B PHILLIPS (.274, 0-FOR-2)
Pirates 1, Reds 5 Bot 4, 0 OutsOct 3 8:24 PM - NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
PASSED BALL BY JASON JARAMILLO ALLOWED DARNELL MCDONALD TO
SCORE.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, R HERNANDEZ ON SECOND, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: PITTSBURGH 1
CINCINNATI 3 BOTTOM,4TH
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: J CUETO (.130, 0-FOR-0, SAC)
Pirates 1, Reds 3 Bot 4, 0 OutsOct 3 8:15 PM - NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY SCOTT ROLEN (3) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 2 OUT
IN THE 3RD OFF ZACH DUKE.
CURRENT SCORE: PITTSBURGH 1, CINCINNATI 2
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: J GOMES (.265, 0-FOR-1)
Pirates 1, Reds 2 Bot 3, 0 OutsOct 3 8:04 PM - NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY DARNELL MCDONALD SCORED SCOTT ROLEN
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, D MCDONALD ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: PITTSBURGH 1
CINCINNATI 1 BOTTOM,2ND
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: R HERNANDEZ (.253, 5 HR, 37 RBI)
Pirates 1, Reds 1 Bot 2, 0 OutsOct 3 7:47 PM - NL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
PITTSBURGH 1 1 2 0
CINCINNATI 0 0 0 (BOT 1)
CURRENT PITCHERS: PIT - ZACH DUKE
CIN - JOHNNY CUETO
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: D STUBBS (.260, 8 HR, 17 RBI)
P JANISH (.215, 1 HR, 15 RBI)
J VOTTO (.316, 24 HR, 81 RBI)
Pirates 1, Reds 0 Bot 1, 0 OutsOct 3 7:25 PM
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