• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Pirates hope to maintain success in Philadelphia

Sep 9, 2014 - 2:47 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Pittsburgh Pirates enjoy playing at Citizens Bank Park and will try to continue their success in south Philly Tuesday in the second test of a four-game series against the Phillies.

The Pirates have won four straight and six of the past seven games in Philadelphia, and have homered in 11 straight games there (15 home runs total). Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen has hit safely in each of his last eight games against the Phillies, batting .533 with a home run, seven RBI and eight runs scored in that time.

McCutchen was 3-for-4 with a run scored in Monday's 6-4 victory for the Pirates, who have won four in a row overall after losing four straight and are 1 1/2 games ahead of Atlanta and Milwaukee for the second wild card spot. They sit 4 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the NL Central lead.

"We need to play our best ball and focus on the game we're playing," said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle.

Starling Marte had three hits, including a two-run homer in the fifth inning, and Jordy Mercer went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Marte is riding an eight-game hitting streak and has hit six home runs since returning from the concussion disabled list on Aug. 5.

Mercer stayed in the yard on Monday and had gone deep in two straight games and four times in his previous seven contests.

Pittsburgh, which put the game away with four runs in the eighth inning, has hit 25 home runs in the last 16 games.

Jeff Locke was on point in the start for the Pirates and struck out nine batters with no walks over seven innings, charged with only a run and three hits. Mark Melancon picked up save No. 27 in the ninth.

Pirates infielder Josh Harrison hasn't played since the conclusion of a suspended game Saturday against the Chicago Cubs because of an ankle injury and is day-to-day. The All-Star is batting .315 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI this season.

Edinson Volquez tries to keep the Pirates in the win column Tuesday and is 11-7 with a 3.31 earned run average. Volquez is unbeaten (3-0) in his last eight starts and did not figure into the decision of a 1-0 loss at St. Louis last Wednesday, allowing three hits in 6 1/3 shutout innings.

Volquez has faced the Phillies 12 times in his career and has a 4-1 record to go along with a 1.72 earned run average. He defeated the Phillies on July 5 in a 3-2 win at PNC Park and threw seven innings of one-run ball.

Philadelphia has lost two in a row and three of five games, and couldn't solve Locke in last night's loss.

The Phillies, who had won four in a row and 14 of the last 20 games at home, produced just five hits and Chase Utley led the way with a two-run triple as part of a three-run eighth inning.

Kyle Kendrick started on the mound for the Phillies and was tagged for five runs and nine hits in seven innings. Kendrick struck out eight and walked two.

Jimmy Rollins left the game in the fourth inning following a triple due to a strained left hamstring.

"It was just one of those things. Reaching out for the bag and just felt it grab a little," Rollins said. "I almost stopped. I decided to keep going. Think it was easier to keep going than it was to stop."

Rollins said he could be out for at least 10 days depending on the severity of the injury.

"Oh, there's never a couple of days with hamstrings," Rollins said. "No matter if it's a Grade 1 or what, you're looking at 10 days. So, just going off of that, hopefully I can get back somewhere around Oakland (Sept. 19). Finish out then. Maybe before that. I'll just set my eyes there. I'm not trying to do anything too strenuous."

The Phillies will hand the ball to rookie David Buchanan on Tuesday and the right-hander is 6-7 with a 3.95 earned run average. Buchanan has recorded three straight no-decisions and is 0-2 in his past five starts. In last Wednesday's 7-4 loss at Atlanta, he allowed four runs -- one earned -- and three hits in four innings.

Buchanan has allowed no more than two runs in each of his last four trips to the mound and lost to Volquez and the Pirates on July 5. Buchanan gave up all three runs across six innings in that mid-summer setback.

Pittsburgh swept the Phillies in three games at PNC Park and has won 10 of the past 13 meetings in this series. The Phils hope to even this set Tuesday and have won five of their last six series.