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Pirates seek sweep of Reds

Sep 4, 2008 - 10:13 AM Pittsburgh (59-79) at Cincinnati (61-78) 12:35 p.m. EDT

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- The Pittsburgh Pirates attempt to complete a sweep of the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday.

Before this series, the Pirates had lost 10 consecutive contests and had not won a series since July.

Adam and Andy LaRoche each drove in a run in the eighth inning as Pittsburgh defeated the Reds, 6-5, on Wednesday.

Adam LaRoche, who had a broken-bat RBI single in the sixth, gave Pittsburgh a 5-4 lead in the decisive eighth with a run-scoring base hit into right field. The younger LaRoche, Andy, struck one batter later, lining an RBI single into left-center to provide a two-run cushion.

"(Adam LaRoche) is a threat at the plate," Pirates manager Jack Russell said. "He can do some things, and tonight he got a few hits on balls that were not the hardest hit balls (but dropped anyway)."

Cincinnati will send struggling righthander Josh Fogg (2-7, 7.29 ERA) to the mound. Fogg has lost his previous five decisions and has not won since July 19.

He will be opposed by lefthander Tom Gorzelanny (6-9, 6.61), who has lost each of his last three starts.