Pre-game Notes 10/3: Final game of season, Pirates vs Marlins

·         The Pirates game on Sunday against the Marlins is the final game for both clubs this season.

·         The Bucs are 12-13 in the past 25 games, 9-6 in the last 15 and 4-4 in the past eight games.

·         Jose Tabata (14), Pedro Alvarez (11) and Neil Walker (18) have all had double-digit hitting streaks this season. It is the first time since 1952 that the Pirates have had three rookies with double digit hitting streaks in the same season.

·         Pedro Alvarez’s 16 home runs and 64 RBI and Neil Walker’s 12 homers and 66 RBI are the most in Pirates history. It’s also the first time that two rookies hit more than 10 home runs and 60 RBI.

·         Joel Hanrahan struck out two fish in the eighth inning Saturday night giving up 100 K’s on the season. He is the first Pirates reliever to strike out 100 since Don Robinson in 1984 (101).

·         The Pirates pitching staff have struck out 24 batters in the past two games and has posted 1022 strikeouts this season which is the highest since 2006 (1060) and just the 10th time the staff have struck out more than 1000.

·         The Bucs season opener for the 2011 season is scheduled on April 1st in Chicago.

Links:

Neil Walker and his quest for .300

and

John Russell not expected back in 2011

Pitching Matchup:

LHP Brian Burres (4-4, 5.01 ERA)

Vs

RHP Anibal Sanchez (12-12, 3.62 ERA)

Burres is making his 13th start –20th appearance– of the season on Sunday against the Marlins. He picked up the W against the Cardinals his last start allowing two runs (one earned) through 5.2 innings. Burres is 2-1 with a 2.86 ERA in his last five starts.

Sanchez is making his 32nd start of the season and has lost three straight starts. Sanchez allowed three runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts over 6.2 innings. He has faced the Pirates once in his career in which he allowed three runs on seven hits over seven innings and received the loss.

Pirates final lineup of 2010:

McCutchen 8

Tabata 7

Walker 4

Jones 3

Doumit 9

Cedeno 6

LaRoche 5

Jaramillo 2

Burres 1

Marlins final lineup of 2010:

Bonifacio 8

Martinez 6

Morrison 7

Uggla 4

Sanchez 3

Stanton 9

Helms 5

Davis 2

Sanchez 1

*** Pedro Alvarez was not in the lineup due to injured knee. Alvarez hyper extended his right knee during the eighth inning of Saturday’s game when he stepped awkwardly on first base.

Manager John Russell said he would be available to pinch-hit but would not be able to start for the Pirates.