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Indians-Pirates Preview

Jun 20, 2010 - 6:01 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Cleveland (26-40) at Pittsburgh (23-44), 1:35 p.m. EDT

Rookie Brad Lincoln knew the Pittsburgh Pirates would eventually win another game. His teammates finally proved him right.

Looking to build on the team's first victory in two weeks, Lincoln will try to help the Pirates win their first interleague series of the season when they face the struggling Cleveland Indians on Sunday.

Pittsburgh (24-44) avoided matching its longest single-season losing streak in 120 years Saturday, ending a 12-game slide by beating the Indians 6-4.

The club's worst skid in a season was 23 games in 1890.

"We didn't want that," right-hander Jeff Karstens said after earning the Pirates' first victory since June 5.

Lastings Milledge had a career high-tying four RBIs and his third straight multihit game, while Andrew McCutchen added two hits, three walks and four runs for the Pirates.

"That's their job, to cause havoc on the bases," Indians shortstop Jason Donald said. "And they got their job done."

Pittsburgh won its first interleague game of the year following seven losses. The Pirates' last series win over an AL club was June 26-28 against Kansas City.

An improved effort from Lincoln (0-1, 7.50 ERA) could help Pittsburgh take this three-game set. The right-hander has given up five runs over six innings in each of his first two major league starts.

Making his PNC Park debut Tuesday, Lincoln walked three batters, all of whom came around to score in a 6-4 defeat to the Chicago White Sox.

The right-hander, though, didn't lose perspective.

"We're not going to lose every game for the rest of the year," he told the Pirates' official website after the club's ninth straight loss. "We can't put pressure on ourselves to try not to lose. If we just go out there, relax and play hard every day and continue to work, things will turn around for us."

The Indians (26-41) will counter with Justin Masterson (2-6, 5.02), who will also be looking for a better effort after his last game. The right-hander pitched a two-hitter for his first career shutout in an 11-0 win over Boston on June 9, but gave up season highs of seven runs and 10 hits in a 7-6 loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday.

Masterson has never faced Pittsburgh.

After going hitless with six strikeouts in his first 11 at-bats, Pirates rookie Pedro Alvarez had an RBI double in the fifth inning Saturday. He was in a 2-for-19 slide at Triple-A Indianapolis when Pittsburgh called him up Wednesday.

The Pirates have won 10 of 13 at home against Cleveland, which has not won a series in Pittsburgh since taking two of three Sept. 1-3, 1997.