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Rockies, Bucs continue set in Steel City

Apr 9, 2011 - 2:41 PM (Sports Network) - Former prospect Charlie Morton can continue the makings of a bounce-back season tonight when the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Colorado Rockies in the third test of a four-game weekend series at PNC Park.

Morton, a third-round pick of the Atlanta Braves in 2002, reached the big leagues with his original club in 2008 and won four games in 16 appearances.

He was sent to Pittsburgh in a four-player deal that sent Nate McLouth to Atlanta and managed just seven wins against 21 losses over 35 combined starts with the Pirates in 2009-10.

The Flemington, N.J. native got his 2011 season off soundly, though, allowing just three hits and a run in six innings of a 4-3 defeat of the St. Louis Cardinals on April 4.

Morton, who allowed a .332 opposition batting average last season, walked five batters and struck out two against the Cardinals and allowed no home runs after giving up 15 in just 79 2/3 innings in 2010.

He got a no-decision in his lone career start against the Rockies after allowing five hits and two runs in five innings.

The teams will bounce back on little sleep after Friday night's marathon second game, which ended when Jose Tabata doubled high off the wall in right field to drive in Josh Rodriguez in the 14th inning, lifting Pittsburgh to a 4-3 win.

Franklin Morales (0-1) walked Rodriguez with two outs before Tabata, who homered in the fifth, delivered the winning hit off the scoreboard.

Jason Giambi belted a three-run homer in the opening inning for the Rockies, but Colorado wasted numerous opportunities. The Rockies went 1-for-15 with men in scoring position and stranded 14 base runners.

Garrett Olson (1-1) threw the final two innings to get the win.

Tonight, Colorado sends 25-year-old righty Greg Reynolds to the mound to make his first start of 2011 in place of the injured Ubaldo Jimenez, who was placed on the disabled list earlier in the week with a finger injury.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 draft Reynolds reached the majors at the tail end of the 2010 season and made 14 appearances - 13 starts - for the Rockies.

He was 2-8 with a bloated 8.13 earned run average across 62 full innings, allowing 14 home runs and walking 26 batters while striking out just 22.

The 6-foot-7, 225-pounder was initially drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2003, but did not sign and instead attended Stanford University.

After joining the Colorado organization in 2006, he compiled a 15-11 record with a 3.83 ERA across five seasons in the minor leagues.

He has never faced the Pirates.

Pittsburgh won four of its seven matchups with the Rockies in 2010, with the teams splitting a four-game set in the Steel City last August.