|
|
Baseball-Reference.com preview [opens in new window]
You have to look at today's pitching match-up and think that Arizona has a slight edge. Dan Haren has nine quality starts in twelve outings. Gorzelanny has three - and probably thinks a quality appearance is one where he isn't pulled before the end of the first inning. Don't laugh: the start before last, he got two outs and allowed six earned runs. There should be more smackage this afternoon than on a Jerry Springer marathon.
However, the way our offense has been hitting - or not - of late, it might not be so easy. As documented elsewhere, it's been a long time since we've posted as many as a dozen hits in a game, with Upton's slump particularly troubling. Great though the pitching has been, and 37 quality starts leads the league, we can only ride those arms so far. The return of Jackson to the lineup will be a boost, and we can probably expect to see him tomorrow and Monday too, as the Pirates roll out lefties those games too. A dozen hits today would be very nice.
I won't be about for much of this one. Mrs. SnakePit is already at The Sets, getting ready for the Romantasy Cabaret show this evening. I'll be heading down there too, leaving round about first pitch; I think she has taken the laptop, so I might be able to hurl the odd comment in your general direction.