DENVER -- Josh Fogg is not the type to get rattled easily or riled up, as he showed time and again in his four years in the Pirates' starting rotation.

So, it should go without saying that he expects no emotions beyond the ordinary when he faces his former employer for the first time this afternoon.

	MINOR-LEAGUE REPORT Tuesday's results INDIANAPOLIS (33-24) beat Pawtucket, 5-4. RHP Ron Chiavacci (2-3, 5.34) allowed three runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings. RHP Josh Sharpless (1.74) allowed a run and three walks in 1 2/3 innings of relief. RHP Scott Strickland (0.56) pitched two perfect innings of relief. 2B Taber Lee (.358) went 2 for 4. ALTOONA (34-24) lost at Portland, 13-8. RHP Matt Peterson (3-4, 6.57) allowed seven runs in 3 2/3 innings. RF Ray Sadler (.224) went 2 for 3 with his fifth home run and four RBIs. LYNCHBURG (28-30) split a doubleheader at Myrtle Beach, losing, 7-6, and winning, 6-2. In the first game, RHP Luis Valdez (0-0, 14.73) allowed six runs in 3 2/3 innings. In the second, RHP Dustin Craig (2-1, 2.01) allowed two runs, one earned, in six innings. For the day, C Neil Walker (.269) went 2 for 6 with a double, two walks and three RBIs. SS Brian Bixler (.324) hit his fifth home run. HICKORY (25-30) beat Greensboro, 4-3. RHP Blair Johnson (1-1, 3.91) allowed three runs, two earned, in five innings. 3B Tony Mansolino (.252) went 2 for 2 with a walk and three RBIs. CF Andrew McCutchen (.273) went 0 for 4. SS Brent Lillibridge was named South Atlantic League player of the week after going 10 for 22 with four RBIs.

"It's going to be exciting, maybe, before the game," Fogg said yesterday, flashing a familiar smile in the Colorado Rockies' clubhouse. "I've talked to a bunch of guys over there, and a couple of us went out after the first game. We just caught up. Once the game starts, though, it will be just another game in my mind. I'm going to go out there and try to get them out just like any other team."

Fogg did not leave the Pirates on the most pleasant terms in December, the team declining to tender a contract after he spent nearly four years in the rotation. There was no negotiation, no discussion about keeping him.

He offered no harsh words at the parting and proceeded to field offers from three other teams as a free agent before signing Colorado's one-year deal worth $850,000 -- less than half his $2.15 million salary with the Pirates -- on Feb. 9, a week before pitchers and catchers were to report.

Fogg had to make the Rockies' rotation out of spring training, and he has gone 3-4 with a 4.43 ERA in 11 starts since then.

"It's been a really good experience," he said. "This organization's great. There's some veteran leadership, but it's mostly a young team. Everybody likes to go out and compete. Everybody's on the same page here. I think I made a good decision."

No pitcher the Pirates face this season will know their nuances as Fogg does, given the time he spent watching many of them swing in games and cages, and he is not shy in predicting that could work to his advantage today.

"I've learned a lot about them over four years, and I think I know where some of their weaknesses are. Hopefully, I can exploit them and have a pretty good day."

Gerut done for 2006

Right fielder Jody Gerut will miss the rest of this season because of his recent knee surgery, he said yesterday.

He must wear a non-bending brace for six weeks, after which he will begin rehabilitation at a clinic in Vail, Colo. He expects to be ready for full baseball action by next spring training.

The Pirates must pay Gerut's full salary of $875,000 on a contract that expires after this season. The team can retain his rights for three more years if it offers him arbitration. If it does not, he becomes a free agent.

Tracy happy for son

Manager Jim Tracy acknowledged speaking to the Pirates' scouts about his son, Pepperdine University catcher Chad Tracy, but he expressed nothing but delight that the Texas Rangers selected him in the third round of Major League Baseball's amateur draft yesterday.

"I like the idea of his sprouting his wings somewhere else, taking the pressure off," the elder Tracy said. "I didn't want there to be a situation where he'd have to hear, 'Oh, here's the kid of the Pirates' manager.' "

Chad Tracy, 20, batted .315 with six home runs and a team-leading 46 RBIs in his just-completed junior year.

Buried treasure

Third baseman Joe Randa, fresh off another successful round of drills yesterday, is scheduled to begin his rehabilitation stint with Class AAA Indianapolis by playing Sunday and Monday against Louisville. It is possible he could rejoin the Pirates' lineup after that.

Jose Bautista's start last night -- he led off and played center field -- was only his second in the past six games, but Tracy made clear he plans to use Bautista at various positions to keep him busy. "If this is the path we have to take for the time being to accelerate his development, fine," Tracy said. "He's gaining more here in facing major-league pitching than he would by playing one specific spot in the minors. He's ready for this level."

First base coach John Shelby's son was drafted, too. John Shelby III, a junior second baseman at the University of Kentucky, was taken in the fifth round by the Chicago White Sox.