• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

DeRosa, Cubs aim for more success vs. lowly Pirates

Apr 19, 2008 - 11:47 AM Pittsburgh (7-9) at Chicago Cubs (10-6) 1:05 pm EDT

CHICAGO (Ticker) - Mark DeRosa looks to help the Chicago Cubs continue their dominance of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday in the middle game of a three-game series.

Chicago, which posted a 3-2 victory in the series opener on Friday, has won eight straight over Pittsburgh dating to last season.

DeRosa, who has been playing both second base and left field while Alfonso Soriano recovers from a right calf strain, had a pair of hits and an RBI in the series opener.

The utility man is hitting .466 (7-for-15) with two home runs and seven RBI in his last five games.

The Cubs swept a three-game series at PNC Park last week, and will look to spoil another homecoming for Pirates starter Tom Gorzelanny. The lefthander grew up in Evergreen, Illinois, which is about a half-hour from Wrigley Field.

Gorzelanny (1-1, 6.75 ERA) allowed one run and four hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 9-1 victory over Cincinnati on Sunday.

Jason Marquis (0-0, 5.23) will be looking to hand the Pirates their fourth straight loss when he takes the mound. He allowed two runs and four hits in five innings during the Cubs' 6-5, 10-inning victory over Philadelphia on Sunday.