SAN DIEGO PADRES NOTES:
No team release available.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES NOTES:
THE PIRATES: Had the day off yesterday…Went 1-3 on their four-game road trip to Miami…Played 13 straight days before having an off day yesterday…Ended their season-high 10-game losing streak with Friday’s last at-bat win…Have had four separate winning streaks of at least four games this season, including a season-high seven-game winning streak from 4/17-23.
MAKING THE CONNECTION: Tonight the Pirates will debut their City Connect uniforms…The Nike Pittsburgh Pirates City Connect Jersey will represent a Club — and a city — that’s proud of its past and excited for the future…Using an innovative, data-driven process, the design takes elements from the city’s steel industry, its three rivers and the checkerboard found in Pittsburgh’s flag, and transforms them into something new — a custom, geometric graphic across the top of the jersey.
TAKING A STAND: Tonight the Pirates begin a six-game homestand with this three-game series against the Padres…The homestand will conclude with three-games against the Brewers this weekend (Milwaukee is the only NL Central team that has yet to visit PNC Park this season).
A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE: Last night Major League Baseball announced the rosters for this year’s All-Star Futures Game in Seattle…The Pirates organization will be represented at this year’s game by catcher/first baseman Endy Rodriguez and right-handed pitcher J.P. Massey…Rodriguez is currently rated by Baseball America as as the No. 5 catching prospect in the game by MLB Pipeline and 39th among the top 100 prospects in the game by the same outlet…Coming into today, Massey has a combined 2.98 ERA (54.1ip/18er), 61 strikeouts, 1.33 WHIP and .224 batting average against in 12 appearances (10 starts) this season between Bradenton and Greensboro.
RICH ON THE HILL: Rich Hill gets the start tonight in the opener of this three-game series against the Padres…Tonight will be Hill’s first time to face San Diego since September 24, 2019, as a member of the Dodgers…He has also gone 6-1 with a 1.74 ERA (57.0ip/11er) in his last 10 starts against the Friars.
THROWN FOR A CURVE: Rich Hill has thrown his curveball 39 percent of the time this season coming into tonight’s outing…According to Baseball Savant, the only three pitchers to throw that pitch at a higher percentage this year are Drew Smyly (49%), Charlie Morton (45.9%) and Domingo German (40.8%).
OFF TO A GOOD START: Pittsburgh’s starting pitching staff has posted a 1.63 ERA (27.2ip/5er) in the last four games…The starting staff has also surrendered a total of 45 home runs this season…That’s tied for the third-fewest in MLB along with the Cubs…The only two starting staffs in MLB to allow fewer home runs are the Marlins and Rays with 44 apiece.
ON-BASE MACHINE: Andrew McCutchen leads all of MLB with 20 walks this month (Juan Soto and Mike Trout are tied for the second-most this month with 19)…He also ranks third in all of MLB this month with a .459 on-base percentage, trailing only Luis Arraez (.480) nd Will Benson (.476).
KEEPING UP WITH CUTCH’S MILESTONES: Andrew McCutchen comes into today with 180 stolen bases as a member of the Pirates…He needs two more to move into a 10th place tie with Carson Bigbee…McCutchen is also four total bases away from 3400 in his career…Only five current players have more than 3400 career total bases (Miguel Cabrera, Nelson Cruz, Joey Votto, Freddie Freeman and Evan Longoria).
ON THE MEND: First baseman/designated hitter Ji Man Choi went 1-for-3 in his third game on rehab Sunday with Double-A Altoona…Choi, who is currently on the 60-day injured list with a left Achilles tendon strain, is now 2-for-8 on his current rehab assignment…He has played a total of 12.0 innings at first base while also serving as a designated hitter for one game.
STARTING PITCHER – 44 – LHP RICH HILL
RICH HILL: The 43-year-old lefthander is making his 16th start of the season tonight…He lost an 8-3 decision (5.2ip/5r/3er) against the Cubs in his last start Wednesday at PNC Park.
vs. SAN DIEGO: 6-4 with a 3.03 ERA (71.1ip/24er) in 13 career appearances/starts…Has not faced the Padres since 9/24/19…Lost each of his first three starts against San Diego… Since 9/3/16 he is 6-1 with a 1.74 ERA (57.0ip/11er) in 10 starts.
