Pirates' young guns off to hot start

Baseball Betting Lines

04/18/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With injuries wreaking havoc on several team's pitching staffs in the NL Central, the Pittsburgh Pirates' arms are taking the opportunity to display their stuff.

Tom Gorzelanny and Ian Snell are leading the way for the Pirates, who have a collective earned run average of 3.35, good for fourth in the National League.

Gorzelanny has been a pleasant surprise with a 2-0 mark and 1.33 ERA. That includes an outstanding outing on Tuesday against the Cardinals. In that start, Gorzelanny stretched his scoreless streak to 12 innings before allowing a fifth-inning run, and was two outs shy of his first career complete game.

The left-hander allowed just one run on four hits in 8 1/3 frames, and has given up just three earned runs over three starts.

Snell and his 1.80 ERA are not far behind Gorzelanny. Snell has allowed only four runs over his three starts, but is 1-1 due to a tough-luck loss on April 9 against the Cardinals in which he allowed just one earned run over seven innings.

"I don't know if I've ever been around pitching this solid before," Adam LaRoche said on the team's official Web site. "It's been unbelievable what the starters have done. If they keep doing that, and we can put up four or five runs, we're going to be really good."

That's one heck of a compliment considering LaRoche spent three seasons in Atlanta.

The Pirates staff has even more potential to be lights out. Their low team ERA is surprising given that young left-handed ace Zach Duke is just 1-1 with a 7.20 earned run average.

Duke's numbers are deceiving though. He allowed just five earned runs over his first two starts (a total of 13 innings), but was then tagged for seven runs in just two innings in his most recent start on Friday.

"I was bad," Duke said after the loss to the Giants. "I'm not going to make any excuses. I was just bad. My fastball wasn't going where I wanted it to and nothing else was either. Basically I've got two choices: I can dwell on this and let it eat at me or I can move onto the next one."

Still, at this pace, the Pirates have a good enough rotation to win a wide- open NL Central.

SLOW OUT THE GATE

While LaRoche had kind words for the starting staff, he has given them little help with his bat.

LaRoche, expected to provide some pop in the Pirates lineup this season and help protect star outfielder Jason Bay, is hitting just .116 with two home runs and five runs batted in through his first 11 games.

"I think it's going to take not hitting balls good," LaRoche said last Friday on the team's site. "I think I need to break a few bats and duck snort balls in there and get some base hits or something to get going. I'm looking out and seeing 15 defenders out there right now. It just feels like there are no holes and when I do hit one good, it's right at somebody."

A back strain kept LaRoche out of one game this season, but he came through with a big three-run home run on Tuesday to help the Pirates sweep a two-game set with the Cardinals.

The Pirates acquired LaRoche from Atlanta for reliever Mike Gonzalez knowing he is a slow starter. The left-handed slugger is now a career .190 hitter in April. However, he is hitting .271 in May and historically finishes strong by batting .303 in September.

CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP

Tuesday's win over the Cardinals was the 500th of Jim Tracy's career. He became the 12th active manager to reach the 500-win mark.

Also, Pittsburgh's two-game sweep of the Cardinals gave them back-to-back wins in St. Louis for the first time since May 30-31, 2003.

The Pirates have won three road games in a row and are 6-2 over their first eight road contests. That is a nice turnaround for a club that lost its first six road tilts to begin last seas on, and went 1-13 over its first 14 games as the visitor.

INJURY NEWS

Second baseman Freddy Sanchez, who began the season on the disabled list due to a right knee strain, missed Tuesday's game because of a sore left wrist. He suffered the setback Monday against St. Louis on a check swing.

Sanchez was activated off the DL on April 8, and his reached base safely in five of his six games played. The reigning NL Batting champion is hitting .348 on the season with three RBI and three runs scored.

Also, pitcher John Grabow (left elbow irritation) is on a rehab assignment in Triple-A Indianapolis after starting the season on the DL. He tossed an inning of scoreless relief on Monday at Norfolk.

WHO'S HOT

Outfielder Xavier Nady started the season on fire as he smacked home runs in his first two games and was batting .280 through his first seven games. He has a team-high seven RBI on the season, though his average has dipped to .267.

WHO'S NOT

All-Star Jason Bay is hitting just .213 through his first 12 games. He is only 10-of-47 from the plate as the Pirates are currently lacking a punch to the middle of their lineup with Bay and LaRoche's struggles.

ON DECK

The Pirates stay on the road for five games, two in Milwaukee and three in Los Angeles. Left-hander Paul Maholm (0-1, 5.40 ERA) goes in the first game against the Brewers, followed by Duke. Righty Tony Armas (0-1, 13.50 ERA) is slated to toss the opener against the Dodgers.