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PITTSBURGH ( LIRIANO )
MINNESOTA ( SANTANA ) |
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| 921 | PITTSBURGH | -120 | Ov 7.5,-120 | -130 | Ov 8,-105 | | 922 | MINNESOTA | +110 | Un 7.5,+100 | +120 | Un 8,-115 |
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| All Games | 58-41 | +9.4 | 43-47 | 4.1 | 0.257 | 0.308 | 0.385 | 0.693 | 3.5 | 0.247 | 0.303 | 0.355 | 0.658 | | Road Games | 23-24 | -2 | 19-22 | 4.1 | 0.257 | 0.306 | 0.379 | 0.685 | 4.0 | 0.260 | 0.320 | 0.370 | 0.690 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 48-33 | +9.6 | 36-37 | 4.1 | 0.254 | 0.305 | 0.384 | 0.689 | 3.6 | 0.249 | 0.304 | 0.360 | 0.664 | | Past 7 Games | 4-3 | +0.6 | 4-3 | 4.3 | 0.268 | 0.297 | 0.423 | 0.720 | 4.7 | 0.262 | 0.312 | 0.433 | 0.745 | | Grass Games | 58-41 | +9.4 | 43-47 | 4.1 | 0.257 | 0.308 | 0.385 | 0.693 | 3.5 | 0.247 | 0.303 | 0.355 | 0.658 | | Day Games | 19-12 | +6.2 | 11-16 | 4.0 | 0.264 | 0.313 | 0.393 | 0.706 | 3.2 | 0.237 | 0.293 | 0.333 | 0.626 | | Interleague | 12-7 | +3.4 | 9-10 | 4.4 | 0.282 | 0.325 | 0.416 | 0.741 | 3.4 | 0.225 | 0.277 | 0.347 | 0.624 |
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| All Games | 4.1 | 0.257 | 0.308 | 99 | 3426 | 881 | 181 | 13 | 77 | 0.385 | 382 | 253 | 806 | 66 | 706 | 81 | 73 | 118 | 86 | | Road Games | 4.1 | 0.257 | 0.306 | 47 | 1684 | 432 | 92 | 5 | 35 | 0.379 | 179 | 119 | 427 | 35 | 351 | 37 | 44 | 59 | 47 | | Righty Starters | 4.1 | 0.254 | 0.305 | 81 | 2805 | 712 | 151 | 10 | 65 | 0.384 | 310 | 207 | 658 | 49 | 568 | 68 | 58 | 104 | 70 |
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| All Games | 2.71 | 1.194 | 299 | 103 | 90 | 269 | 27 | 88 | 257 | 16-13 | 34 | 9 | 79.1% | | Road Games | 2.74 | 1.377 | 138 | 53 | 42 | 139 | 11 | 51 | 126 | 3-9 | 14 | 5 | 73.7% |
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| All Games | 52-47 | +15.1 | 43-46 | 4.2 | 0.252 | 0.304 | 0.397 | 0.701 | 4.2 | 0.269 | 0.316 | 0.418 | 0.734 | | Home Games | 32-19 | +15.9 | 25-20 | 4.9 | 0.280 | 0.329 | 0.442 | 0.771 | 3.9 | 0.267 | 0.308 | 0.410 | 0.719 | | vs Left-handed Starters | 19-15 | +7.8 | 17-15 | 5.1 | 0.259 | 0.315 | 0.412 | 0.727 | 3.8 | 0.262 | 0.309 | 0.408 | 0.716 | | Past 7 Games | 2-5 | -2 | 4-2 | 4.1 | 0.252 | 0.314 | 0.402 | 0.715 | 5.1 | 0.279 | 0.316 | 0.425 | 0.741 | | Grass Games | 52-47 | +15.1 | 43-46 | 4.2 | 0.252 | 0.304 | 0.397 | 0.701 | 4.2 | 0.269 | 0.316 | 0.418 | 0.734 | | Day Games | 25-22 | +6.3 | 22-19 | 4.2 | 0.257 | 0.312 | 0.409 | 0.722 | 4.7 | 0.279 | 0.326 | 0.448 | 0.774 | | Interleague | 8-11 | -2.2 | 7-10 | 3.8 | 0.242 | 0.300 | 0.388 | 0.689 | 4.6 | 0.270 | 0.322 | 0.415 | 0.737 |
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| All Games | 4.2 | 0.252 | 0.304 | 99 | 3304 | 833 | 169 | 28 | 85 | 0.397 | 399 | 245 | 727 | 48 | 583 | 103 | 55 | 100 | 55 | | Home Games | 4.9 | 0.280 | 0.329 | 51 | 1684 | 472 | 88 | 13 | 53 | 0.442 | 241 | 122 | 339 | 23 | 299 | 61 | 28 | 57 | 17 | | Lefty Starters | 5.1 | 0.259 | 0.315 | 34 | 1171 | 303 | 54 | 6 | 38 | 0.412 | 163 | 96 | 228 | 10 | 207 | 39 | 19 | 39 | 22 |
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| All Games | 3.92 | 1.303 | 291.6 | 144 | 127 | 292 | 35 | 88 | 200 | 14-16 | 31 | 7 | 81.6% | | Home Games | 3.72 | 1.254 | 154.7 | 75 | 64 | 153 | 19 | 41 | 118 | 8-7 | 16 | 2 | 88.9% |
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| 7/17/2015 | MORTON(R) | @ MILWAUKEE | FIERS(R) | 1-4 | L | 110 | 8.5 ov | U | 3 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 2 | | 7/18/2015 | WORLEY(R) | @ MILWAUKEE | NELSON(R) | 5-8 | L | -125 | 8 un | O | 8 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 10 | 2 | | 7/19/2015 | LOCKE(L) | @ MILWAUKEE | JUNGMANN(R) | 1-6 | L | 125 | 8 un | U | 6 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 5 | 0 | | 7/20/2015 | BURNETT(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | VENTURA(R) | 10-7 | W | 125 | 7 ev | O | 17 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 1 | | 7/21/2015 | COLE(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | VARGAS(L) | 1-3 | L | -115 | 7 ov | U | 8 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | | 7/22/2015 | MORTON(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | VOLQUEZ(R) | 1-5 | L | 115 | 7.5 ev | U | 8 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 0 | | 7/23/2015 | LIRIANO(L) | WASHINGTON | FISTER(R) | 7-3 | W | -185 | 7 un | O | 13 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | | 7/24/2015 | LOCKE(L) | WASHINGTON | SCHERZER(R) | 7-5 | W | +120 | 6.5 un | O | 12 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 0 | | 7/25/2015 | BURNETT(R) | WASHINGTON | GONZALEZ(L) | 3-9 | L | -145 | 7 ov | O | 7 | 5 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 1 | | 7/26/2015 | COLE(R) | WASHINGTON | ROSS(R) | 3-1 | W | -160 | 7 un | U | 5 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 1 | | 7/28/2015 | MORTON(R) | @ MINNESOTA | PELFREY(R) | 8-7 | W | -105 | 9.5 un | O | 11 | 9 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 1 | | 7/29/2015 | LIRIANO(L) | @ MINNESOTA | SANTANA(R) | | | 7/30/2015 | LOCKE(L) | @ CINCINNATI | HOLMBERG(L) | | | 7/31/2015 | BURNETT(R) | @ CINCINNATI | LORENZEN(R) | | | 8/1/2015 | COLE(R) | @ CINCINNATI | IGLESIAS(R) | | | 8/2/2015 | MORTON(R) | @ CINCINNATI | LEAKE(R) | | | 8/3/2015 | LIRIANO(L) | CHICAGO CUBS | LESTER(L) | | | 8/4/2015 | LOCKE(L) | CHICAGO CUBS | ARRIETA(R) | | | 8/5/2015 | | CHICAGO CUBS | | |
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| 7/17/2015 | SANTANA(R) | @ OAKLAND | GRAY(R) | 5-0 | W | 160 | 6.5 ov | U | 8 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 2 | | 7/18/2015 | HUGHES(R) | @ OAKLAND | KAZMIR(L) | 2-3 | L | 140 | 7 ev | U | 6 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 1 | | 7/19/2015 | MILONE(L) | @ OAKLAND | CHAVEZ(R) | 1-14 | L | 145 | 7.5 un | O | 7 | 8 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 0 | | 7/21/2015 | GIBSON(R) | @ LA ANGELS | SHOEMAKER(R) | 0-7 | L | 115 | 7 ev | P | 2 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 6 | 0 | | 7/22/2015 | PELFREY(R) | @ LA ANGELS | WILSON(L) | 2-5 | L | 150 | 7.5 ov | U | 9 | 12 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 1 | | 7/23/2015 | SANTANA(R) | @ LA ANGELS | RICHARDS(R) | 3-0 | W | 170 | 7.5 un | U | 5 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | | 7/24/2015 | HUGHES(R) | NY YANKEES | PINEDA(R) | 10-1 | W | +140 | 8 ev | O | 14 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 0 | | 7/25/2015 | MILONE(L) | NY YANKEES | SABATHIA(L) | 5-8 | L | +100 | 8 ov | O | 7 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 1 | | 7/26/2015 | GIBSON(R) | NY YANKEES | EOVALDI(R) | 2-7 | L | +115 | 8.5 ev | O | 10 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 0 | | 7/28/2015 | PELFREY(R) | PITTSBURGH | MORTON(R) | 7-8 | L | -105 | 9.5 un | O | 12 | 7 | 1 | 11 | 9 | 2 | | 7/29/2015 | SANTANA(R) | PITTSBURGH | LIRIANO(L) | | | 7/30/2015 | HUGHES(R) | SEATTLE | HAPP(L) | | | 7/31/2015 | MILONE(L) | SEATTLE | WALKER(R) | | | 8/1/2015 | GIBSON(R) | SEATTLE | MONTGOMERY(L) | | | 8/2/2015 | PELFREY(R) | SEATTLE | IWAKUMA(R) | | | 8/3/2015 | SANTANA(R) | @ TORONTO | DICKEY(R) | | | 8/4/2015 | HUGHES(R) | @ TORONTO | ESTRADA(R) | | | 8/5/2015 | | @ TORONTO | | |
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| |  | PITTSBURGH: PITTSBURGH (AP) - The scenario was familiar. The destination not so much.
A veteran player with not much time left leaving millions of dollars on the table for one last run to glory. Only A.J. Burnett didn't walk away from his $12.75 million player option with the Philadelphia Phillies for Los Angeles, Washington or St. Louis.
Nope, the 38-year-old well-traveled (and well tattooed) pitcher practically sprinted to Pittsburgh. His arrival in 2012 marked a sea change in the once-floundering organization's direction. His return three years later signals - he hopes - the end of the team's slow but steady slog from downtrodden afterthought to world champion. And he's not kidding.
''I want to win a ring and I want to win a ring in Pittsburgh,'' Burnett said.
The Pirates are as close to being in the conversation as they've been in nearly a quarter century. And they've opened up their wallets, at least a little, to get there. Pittsburgh made Francisco Liriano the highest-paid free agent in team history when they signed lefthander to a three-year, $39-million deal in the offseason to continue the career resurgence that began when they took a two-year flier on him in 2013. And while Burnett took a cut, he isn't exactly going broke. He'll make $8 million to work as the third man in the rotation behind Liriano and Gerrit Cole.
Pittsburgh even spent $5 million for the rights to sign Korean infielder Jung-Ho Kang, who hit 40 home runs on the other side of the world last year and gives the Pirates an intriguing if unproven option should shortstop Jordy Mercer falter or second baseman Neil Walker's back flare up.
General manager Neal Huntington remains adamant his team's budget will never compare to those of clubs in larger markets but allows there is ''more margin for error'' than in years' past.
''We've built a deeper club because of the money allocated to us,'' he said. ''But we need to continue to grow and mature. We want to put ourselves in a position to win the World Series.''
There are worse places to start than in Pittsburgh, which backed up its breakthrough year in 2013 with a second straight postseason berth in 2014. The playoff run ended abruptly against Madison Bumgarner and the San Francisco Giants in the NL wild card game. Yet the point had been made. The Pirates aren't going anywhere.
''It would've been easy to say 2013 was a fluke and we just got lucky,'' centerfielder Andrew McCutchen said. ''But we showed up in `14 and were able to do the same thing. We know we're for real. And other teams know they just can't come in (thinking), `All right, we're going to beat the Pirates.' We're not that team anymore.''
They're also not where they want to be, at least not yet. A National League Central title would avoid the fickleness of a one-game scenario. Pittsburgh believes it's built to withstand the rigors of October.
Here are the keys to getting there:
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THE OTHER FRANCISCO
The Pirates' budget might be growing, but they still couldn't afford to keep catcher Russell Martin, who parlayed his tremendous 2014 into a $82 million deal with Toronto. Pittsburgh prepared for Martin's departure by trading for longtime Yankees' backup catcher Francisco Cervelli. When healthy Cervelli is an adequate defensive replacement with a decent if not powerful bat. If he can handle the pitching staff and control the basepaths, any offense he provides would be a plus.
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SPEED TO BURN
Perennial MVP candidate McCutchen anchors one of baseball's most athletic outfields. Starling Marte surged toward the end of a bumpy 2014 and Gregory Polanco is a raw but talented work in progress. Pittsburgh felt confident enough in Polanco's progress to trade Travis Snider to Baltimore.
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PEDRO'S PROGRESS
Pedro Alvarez moves across the infield to first base in hopes of salvaging his career after developing a serious case of the yips at third. If his can reclaim the groove that helped him mash 36 homers in 2013, the Pirates can live with whatever growing pains may come with the switch.
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KANG SHOW
Kang (pronounced ''Gahng'') doesn't lack for confidence. He told reporters in Korea he believes he can supplant Mercer at shortstop. It may take longer than he thought after a sluggish spring training.
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THE VANIMAL
Vance Worley, like Liriano, Burnett and the since departed Edinson Volquez, thrived under pitching coach Ray Searage's mentoring last spring. He was arguably Pittsburgh's best starter down the stretch and a strong spring gives him a leg up in the battle Jeff Locke for the fifth starter spot. | | MINNESOTA: MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Paul Molitor was hired as Minnesota's new manager, bringing Hall of Fame membership and renowned intelligence and intuition to a team seeking a fresh start.
The Twins brought back one of their most popular players ever, Torii Hunter, to help solidify an unsettled outfield, mentor a fledgling team and hit a few home runs. They have collected plenty of promising young hitters, either slated for the opening day lineup or waiting in the minor league wings.
None of that will matter much if the starting pitching continues to wobble the way it has the last four seasons.
Phil Hughes had by most measures a career year, his first away from the New York Yankees, but his ability to match that is low on the list of 2015 goals. Ricky Nolasco needs to rebound from a terrible first season with the Twins. Ervin Santana must show he's worth that $55 million, four-year contract. Kyle Gibson has to reduce the times (five of 31 starts in 2014) he goes three innings or less and gives up six runs or more. The fifth spot winner, Trevor May, Tommy Milone or Mike Pelfrey, needs to keep it.
''We'd put up a couple good starts and somebody would get hurt or we'd take a step backward,'' said Hughes, whose 2014 season has been one of the few true success stories of the rotation since it unraveled in 2011. ''Every good team I've been on, it seems like the rotation gets on a roll.''
New pitching coach Neil Allen will have more impact on the staff than Molitor, but after 13 years under manager Ron Gardenhire the clubhouse has been naturally buzzing with excitement about the new boss.
''He's one of the smartest baseball people I've ever been around,'' first baseman Joe Mauer said.
As for Hunter? His presence was desired for more energy and stronger camaraderie.
''If there's no tension between players and you're comfortable with everyone, you're going to play better,'' closer Glen Perkins said. ''So that's chemistry, I guess. I think we've held it together as much as we can, as much as we've struggled.''
Here are some key angles to know about the Twins in 2015:
MAUER IMPROVEMENT
Mauer, soon to turn 32, will make $23 million each of the next four years. Injuries have limited him to an average of 116 games from 2011-14. His batting average hit a career-low .277 last season, and he had a career-most 96 strikeouts despite time lost to an oblique muscle injury.
The Twins haven't lost faith in their franchise player, the homegrown guy who was the first overall draft pick in 2001. Playing for Molitor, whom he grew up admiring as an alumnus of the same St. Paul high school, ought to help.
''He's healthy. I think he's anxious to prove that last year was just an aberration,'' general manager Terry Ryan said.
LINEUP FLEXIBILITY
Molitor has been touting his options at the top and in the middle of the order, with a team that quietly scored the third-most runs in the majors after the All-Star break last year and added an accomplished hitter in Hunter.
One decision is whether to bat Mauer third, where he was most of his career until Gardenhire began to bat him second often over the last two seasons.
With Hunter, Kennys Vargas, Trevor Plouffe and Oswaldo Arcia, Molitor has power to play with in the heart of the order. The downsides are Arcia's inconsistency, leadoff man Danny Santana being the only player with a 2014 average above .290 and an unsettled situation in center field.
''It's a small sample, our track record from last year, but it's something you can use as a foundation to see potentially how your offense can work. We're going to have depth, I think, all the way down to the bottom,'' Molitor said.
BULLPEN SHUFFLE
The Twins could return as few as three relievers to their roles from last season: Perkins, Casey Fien and Brian Duensing. Blaine Boyer and Tim Stauffer, from San Diego, were signed. At least one of the losers in the fifth starter competition was headed for the seven-man bullpen. Rule 5 draft pick J.R. Graham, who must be returned to Atlanta if he's not on the 25-man roster, has been pushing for a spot, too.
Reliever use will be one area in which Molitor's strategy could differ from that of Gardenhire.
''I want to get them out of a one-inning mentality. Not that they all have it, or don't want to pitch more. But we've talked a lot about some of those guys, trying to get two innings out of them here, if we can,'' Molitor said. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER NL PREVIEW (PITTSBURGH-MINNESOTA) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Pirates-Twins Preview* =======================
By JORDAN GARRETSON STATS Writer
Pittsburgh (57-41) at Minnesota (52-46), 1:10 p.m. EDT
Francisco Liriano and Ervin Santana have enjoyed strong stretches in the past, but rounding into the twilight of their respective careers, they look as good as ever.
The Pittsburgh Pirates visit the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday in a matchup of Dominican hurlers that have been impressive of late.
Liriano (6-6, 2.91 ERA) was an All-Star with Minnesota in 2006, but posted an ERA of 5.09 or higher in three of in his final four seasons with the club before finding his way to Pittsburgh prior to 2013. Santana (2-0, 2.60) has won 16-plus three times, and earned an All-Star nod in 2008 with the Los Angeles Angels. Both have been hard to hit lately.
Liriano lowered his ERA to 1.95 over his last five starts in a 7-3 win over Washington on Thursday, striking out 11 while yielding one run and three hits over six-plus innings. It was an encouraging sign after he had been scratched from his scheduled start the previous weekend due to neck stiffness.
The left-hander's 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings are his most since a 10.7 mark in 2006, his second pro season. He's likely to become the first Pirate to post an ERA of 3.38 or lower while throwing at least 100 innings in three straight seasons since Doug Drabek from 1988-92.
He'll be hoping this matchup with his former club goes better than the one two months ago, though. Liriano surrendered a season-high seven runs and five hits - including two homers - over two innings of an 8-5 loss May 19, prompting boos from the home fans.
"Against a guy like Frankie, who we know and have seen be effective, jumping out early was big for us," Minnesota third baseman Trevor Plouffe told MLB's official website.
Plouffe is 3 for 5 with two homers and a double off Liriano, and that line of thinking likely still holds true. Liriano owns a 3.38 ERA in innings 1-3 compared to a 2.51 mark in the fourth inning and onward.
Santana has almost immediately cemented himself as Minnesota's ace upon returning from an 80-game suspension for violating MLB's drug program.
He dominated his former team Thursday, limiting the Angels to four hits with seven strikeouts over eight innings in a 3-0 road victory. Outside of a rough start against Detroit on July 10 when he gave up six runs in four innings, Santana has allowed two runs over 23 2-3 innings in three other outings.
"He has been able to turn the page," manager Paul Molitor said.
He won his only previous start against Pittsburgh despite allowing three runs - all on solo homers - over 5 1-3 innings on Aug. 18 with Atlanta.
Jung Ho Kang homered in the ninth to push Pittsburgh (58-41) to an 8-7 victory Tuesday, its fourth in five games. He's batting .393 with nine extra-base hits in his last 17 games. He had 13 in his previous 66 contests.
The Twins (52-47) have boasted a strong back end of the bullpen for most of the season, but closer Glen Perkins faltered again, yielding Kang's decisive home run. He has allowed six runs in 3 2-3 innings and blown two saves in four appearances since the All-Star game.
"How many games did I throw in the first half, 40? And I think I threw well in like 38 or 39 of them," he said. "Bad games are going to happen. I've been saying that all year long."
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| | Last Updated: 4/25/2024 9:44:52 PM EST. |
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