Pirates at Reds
After a rain delay of more than 2 1/2 hours pushed back the start of
Wednesday night’s 11-inning contest, the Pittsburgh Pirates will have
less than 11 hours to recover before trying to avoid a three-game road
sweep against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday afternoon. Monday’s season
opener – a 5-2 win by the Reds – was also delayed 35 minutes in the top
of the sixth inning, and there is a 45-50 percent chance of more
precipitation during the series finale.
Scheduled starters A.J. Burnett and Anthony DeSclafani will likely be asked to work deep into Thursday’s meeting after the clubs combined to use 12 relievers in Cincinnati’s 5-4 victory on Wednesday. Pittsburgh is off to its first 0-2 start since losing its first six games in 2006 and has dropped 14 of its last 21 against the Reds, including eight of its last 11 in Cincinnati. Todd Frazier, who batted .300 with seven homers and 16 RBIs versus the Pirates in 2014, is tormenting Pittsburgh again with a home run in each of his first two games and four RBIs. Billy Hamilton has also carried over last year’s success versus the Pirates, collecting four hits and four steals in this series after batting .349 and swiping 12 bases against them a season ago.
TV: 12:35 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH A.J. Burnett (2014: 8-18, 4.59 ERA) vs. Reds RH Anthony DeSclafani (2014: 2-2, 6.27)
After
a disappointing one-year stop with the Philadelphia Phillies, Burnett
chose to return for a second tour of duty with Pittsburgh, where he went
a combined 26-21 in 2012-13. The 38-year-old, who announced earlier
this year he will retire at the end of the season, struggled for the
third straight year in spring training and hopes to improve on a
miserable second half (2-10, 5.82 ERA over 14 starts) that ended a
season in which he led the majors in losses. Burnett has logged 16
career starts against the Reds, going 7-6 with a 3.71 ERA.
DeSclafani,
who was acquired from Miami in the Mat Latos trade in mid-December,
appeared in 13 games during an uneven rookie season with the Marlins.
The New Jersey native was roughed up in five starts before the All-Star
break (1-2, 7.40 ERA), but fared much better out of the bullpen in the
second half and won a job in the rotation with a mostly solid spring
(1-2, 3.64 across seven turns). DeSclafani, who allowed left-handed
hitters to bat .333 last season, has never faced the Pirates.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cincinnati 1B Joey Votto’s game-winning RBI single in the 11th on Wednesday was the ninth walk-off hit of his career.
2.
Pittsburgh CF Andrew McCutchen went 0-for-5 with a walk on Wednesday,
snapping his 11-game hitting streak at Great American Ball Park.
3. The Reds are 2-0 for the first time since winning their first five contests in 2011.