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Volquez heads to hill for Reds in third game with Bucs

Apr 17, 2011 - 2:48 PM (Sports Network) - Dominican right-hander Edinson Volquez continues what's been a successful return from injury today when the Cincinnati Reds play game three of a four-game series with the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.

Volquez was a 17-game winner for the Reds in 2008 after being acquired from the Texas Rangers for outfielder Josh Hamilton. However, he was sidelined after just nine starts in 2009 and underwent Tommy John surgery, then came back in 2010 and won four of seven decisions in 12 starts in the back half of the season.

He's 2-0 through his initial three starts of 2011, defeating Houston and San Diego in succession after picking up a no-decision against Milwaukee on Opening Day on March 31.

In three combined starts, he's given up 15 hits and 11 runs in 17 innings.

Volquez has faced the Pirates five times in his career and won the lone decision while racking up a 2.32 ERA in 31 innings - allowing 22 hits and eight runs with 32 strikeouts.

He will be opposed by 28-year-old righty Jeff Karstens, who makes his first start of the season after three relief appearances. The former New York Yankees farmhand was 3-10 in 26 outings - 19 starts - in 2010, and began 2011 in the bullpen. He threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings and allowed three hits in meetings with the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis and Colorado.

The most recent outing was 3 1/3 inning stint against the Rockies on April 8, in which he gave up two hits and struck out five batters in a game the Pirates won, 4-3.

Karstens is winless in seven career outings against the Reds, going 0-4 with a 6.26 ERA in 27 1/3 innings while allowing 40 hits and 19 earned runs with 10 walks and 12 strikeouts.

On Saturday, Ramon Hernandez's grand slam as part of a seven-run fifth inning and helped the Reds to an 11-2 win. Drew Stubbs added a two-run homer in the fifth while Jonny Gomes added two homers of his own for Cincinnati, which had lost two in a row.

Mike Leake (2-0) went six innings and was charged with just two runs on four hits with four walks and six strikeouts for the win.

Garrett Jones and Ronny Cedeno each drove in a run for the Pirates, who have lost five of six. James McDonald (0-1) gave up seven runs - six earned - on nine hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts over just 4 1/3 innings.

The Reds won 11 of 17 versus the Pirates last season and are 13-5 against them at home since the start of the 2009 season.