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Pirates Notebook: Rain pushes back Snell, Santana
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NEW YORK -- The Pirates' game with the New York Mets last night was rained out and will be made up Aug. 11 with a one-game return visit to Shea Stadium.
INDIANAPOLIS (13-12) lost at Toledo, 6-5. RHP Bryan Bullington (0-4, 7.24) allowed six runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out four, walked four and hit a batter. RHP Jesse Chavez (1.65) pitched 2 1/3 innings of perfect relief, throwing 19 of 21 pitches for strikes. LHP Sean Burnett (1.26) pitched a scoreless inning with a hit and a strikeout. 3B Neil Walker (.215) went 3 for 5 with a triple. LF Craig Wilson (.266) went 3 for 4 with a double, a walk and two RBIs. RF Steve Pearce (.245) went 1 for 4 with a double, a sacrifice fly and two RBIs, but he also struck out three times. CF Andrew McCutchen (.274) went 1 for 4 with a walk.
ALTOONA (10-13) was off.
LYNCHBURG (10-14) lost at Myrtle Beach, 8-7. LHP Danny Moskos (2-1, 4.56) allowed six runs and six hits in five innings. He struck out two and walked two. RHP Adam Simon (0.00) pitched 1 2/3 innings of perfect relief with three strikeouts. C Steve Lerud (.234) hit his fourth home run, a three-run shot, and went 1 for 5.
HICKORY (13-12) beat Myrtle Beach, 9-8, in 10 innings. RHP Dustin Molleken (2-1, 3.67) allowed five runs and six hits in four innings. C Ronald Pena (.227) hit his second home run and went 2 for 4 with a triple, three RBIs and a walk.
That will add a 10th game to what had been a nine-game road trip, coming on a Monday afternoon -- 1:10 p.m. first pitch -- after a weekend in Philadelphia.
Ian Snell and New York's Johan Santana, the scheduled starters last night, were pushed back to tonight, and Tom Gorzelanny and Oliver Perez will pitch the matinee tomorrow.
Zach Duke now will start Thursday in Washington, with Phil Dumatrait, Paul Maholm and Snell going in the other three games of that series.
The biggest plus to all this: A weary bullpen gets two consecutive days off, including Maholm's complete game Sunday.
"We've got some position players who could use it, too," manager John Russell said, "a lot of guys who have been out there every day, like Nate McLouth and Xavier Nady."
Morris offered part-time role
Pirates general manager Neal Huntington would like more former major-league players involved in the organization's instruction and evaluation, even if just as part-timers, and he offered such a role to starter Matt Morris Sunday morning upon his release as part of a "wide-ranging" discussion they had.
Morris has not responded yet, as he seems more set for the moment on spending time with his family in Jupiter, Fla., where he and his wife, Heather, have a 7-year-old son and infant daughter.
"I think you see a lot of major-leaguers who have made enough money as players that they don't have as much incentive to stay in the game, and that's a loss for baseball, I think," Huntington said. "Whether it's Matt or other players, we'd like to find a way to accommodate their schedules, even if that means just five days a month, to keep quality people like that involved."
Buried treasure
• No matter which path Morris takes, the Pirates must pay the $10 million-plus he is due. Another team signing him would have to pay only the prorated portion of the major-league minimum wage of $390,000.
• Duke Welker, the Pirates' second-round draft pick last summer and one of their top pitching prospects, has been placed on the minor-league disabled list with Class A Hickory after rolling an ankle two weeks ago. He already has made one rehabilitation start in extended spring training and will make another this weekend before rejoining the Crawdads.
• Although Dumatrait has worked out of long relief all season, he will have no tight pitch limit in his first start, Russell said.
First Published April 29, 2008 12:00 am
