GiveHyzduashot
05-27-2002, 02:32 PM
SCOUTING REPORT
The series: Chicago Cubs vs. Pirates, four games at PNC Park.
The times: 7:05 p.m. today, tomorrow and Wednesday, 12:35 p.m. Thursday.
TV, radio: Tonight, tomorrow and Wednesday on Fox Sports Net; all games on KDKA-AM (1020) and the Pirates Radio Network.
Probable starters: RHP Mark Prior (1-0), RHP Matt Clement (2-3), RHP Jon Lieber (3-3) and RHP Kerry Wood (5-3) for the Cubs; LHP Dave Williams (2-5), RHP Kris Benson (0-2), RHP Kip Wells (7-2) and LHP Jimmy Anderson (4-6) for the Pirates.
About the Pirates: Have lost five of six. ... Went 1-3 against the Cubs last week at Wrigley Field and are 4-5 against the Cubs this season. ... Williams lost against Prior Wednesday, allowing five runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. ... Benson allowed seven runs and 11 hits and didn't make it out of the fourth inning Thursday. ... Brian Giles had two of the four hits allowed by Prior in his major-league debut. Against Clement, Giles is 7 for 17 with one home run. He is 8 for 23 against Lieber, and 4 for 17 against Wood. Giles also is 6 for 7 with two solo home runs against Cubs closer Antonio Alfonseca. ... Against Wood, Jason Kendall is 3 for 19, Aramis Ramirez is 1 for 12 and Kevin Young is 7 for 17 with three home runs and eight RBIs.
About the Cubs: In his major-league debut last week, Prior limited the Pirates to four hits and had 10 strikeouts.. ... Lieber is 7-0 against the Pirates since they traded him to the Cubs for Brant Brown in December, 1998. ... Wood has held opposing batters to a .175 average, lowest in the National League. He is coming off a four-hit, complete-game win against the Astros and has allowed four or fewer hits in eight of his 10 starts. ... Against Dave Williams, Sammy Sosa has five home runs in nine at-bats with eight walks. ... Sosa is 6 for 19 with three home runs and seven RBIs against Mike Williams. He is 1 for 13 against Sean Lowe and 1 for 9 against Scott Sauerbeck. ... Moises Alou is hitting .364 against Anderson.
On deck: Pirates visit St. Louis for three games; Cubs are home with the Astros for three games.
NOTEBOOK
Fernando Vina was removed from the game yesterday after he was hit by a Ron Villone pitch in the seventh inning. Vina, who had a grand slam and a run-scoring single earlier, was hit on his right elbow. He said after the game he should be ready to play today.
In his past four starts, Dave Williams has pitched 14 1/3 innings and has allowed 16 earned runs. He has not pitched five innings in a start since April 24. Against the Cubs, he is 1-2 with a 9.96 ERA in three starts this season. Williams has been working on some mechanical adjustments. "His stuff's better than it's ever been," Manager Lloyd McClendon said. "He's champing at the bit to get back out there. That's a good sign."
General Manager Dave Littlefield said the Pirates have narrowed their choices to four players in next week's amateur draft but he did not say who those players are. The Pirates have the No. 1 pick, and scouting director Ed Creech will be in town today to begin predraft meetings. "In a perfect situation, you want the guy who's closest to playing in the majors and who has the highest ceiling and who has the most minimal risk," Littlefield said on his weekly KDKA-AM radio show. "Unfortunately, this year no one has stepped up above anybody else." The Pirates have been paying a lot of attention to Ball State University pitcher Bryan Bullington and shortstop Bill Upton from northern Virginia.
Armando Rios, on the 15-day disabled list with a bruised left knee, has been working out to strengthen his leg. It has yet to be determined if Rios will be sent to the minors for a rehabilitation assignment after he is ready to come off the disabled list next week. "What we want to avoid is him hobbling the rest of the year," Littlefield said.
Yesterday, Mike Benjamin started at second base for the third time. He has not committed an error there in 105 games, dating to June 6, 1998, when he was with Boston. He is 18 games shy of Ryne Sandberg's 123-game errorless streak at second base.
The series: Chicago Cubs vs. Pirates, four games at PNC Park.
The times: 7:05 p.m. today, tomorrow and Wednesday, 12:35 p.m. Thursday.
TV, radio: Tonight, tomorrow and Wednesday on Fox Sports Net; all games on KDKA-AM (1020) and the Pirates Radio Network.
Probable starters: RHP Mark Prior (1-0), RHP Matt Clement (2-3), RHP Jon Lieber (3-3) and RHP Kerry Wood (5-3) for the Cubs; LHP Dave Williams (2-5), RHP Kris Benson (0-2), RHP Kip Wells (7-2) and LHP Jimmy Anderson (4-6) for the Pirates.
About the Pirates: Have lost five of six. ... Went 1-3 against the Cubs last week at Wrigley Field and are 4-5 against the Cubs this season. ... Williams lost against Prior Wednesday, allowing five runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. ... Benson allowed seven runs and 11 hits and didn't make it out of the fourth inning Thursday. ... Brian Giles had two of the four hits allowed by Prior in his major-league debut. Against Clement, Giles is 7 for 17 with one home run. He is 8 for 23 against Lieber, and 4 for 17 against Wood. Giles also is 6 for 7 with two solo home runs against Cubs closer Antonio Alfonseca. ... Against Wood, Jason Kendall is 3 for 19, Aramis Ramirez is 1 for 12 and Kevin Young is 7 for 17 with three home runs and eight RBIs.
About the Cubs: In his major-league debut last week, Prior limited the Pirates to four hits and had 10 strikeouts.. ... Lieber is 7-0 against the Pirates since they traded him to the Cubs for Brant Brown in December, 1998. ... Wood has held opposing batters to a .175 average, lowest in the National League. He is coming off a four-hit, complete-game win against the Astros and has allowed four or fewer hits in eight of his 10 starts. ... Against Dave Williams, Sammy Sosa has five home runs in nine at-bats with eight walks. ... Sosa is 6 for 19 with three home runs and seven RBIs against Mike Williams. He is 1 for 13 against Sean Lowe and 1 for 9 against Scott Sauerbeck. ... Moises Alou is hitting .364 against Anderson.
On deck: Pirates visit St. Louis for three games; Cubs are home with the Astros for three games.
NOTEBOOK
Fernando Vina was removed from the game yesterday after he was hit by a Ron Villone pitch in the seventh inning. Vina, who had a grand slam and a run-scoring single earlier, was hit on his right elbow. He said after the game he should be ready to play today.
In his past four starts, Dave Williams has pitched 14 1/3 innings and has allowed 16 earned runs. He has not pitched five innings in a start since April 24. Against the Cubs, he is 1-2 with a 9.96 ERA in three starts this season. Williams has been working on some mechanical adjustments. "His stuff's better than it's ever been," Manager Lloyd McClendon said. "He's champing at the bit to get back out there. That's a good sign."
General Manager Dave Littlefield said the Pirates have narrowed their choices to four players in next week's amateur draft but he did not say who those players are. The Pirates have the No. 1 pick, and scouting director Ed Creech will be in town today to begin predraft meetings. "In a perfect situation, you want the guy who's closest to playing in the majors and who has the highest ceiling and who has the most minimal risk," Littlefield said on his weekly KDKA-AM radio show. "Unfortunately, this year no one has stepped up above anybody else." The Pirates have been paying a lot of attention to Ball State University pitcher Bryan Bullington and shortstop Bill Upton from northern Virginia.
Armando Rios, on the 15-day disabled list with a bruised left knee, has been working out to strengthen his leg. It has yet to be determined if Rios will be sent to the minors for a rehabilitation assignment after he is ready to come off the disabled list next week. "What we want to avoid is him hobbling the rest of the year," Littlefield said.
Yesterday, Mike Benjamin started at second base for the third time. He has not committed an error there in 105 games, dating to June 6, 1998, when he was with Boston. He is 18 games shy of Ryne Sandberg's 123-game errorless streak at second base.