video thumbnail

ARI@PIT: Bedard two-hits D-backs over seven frames

The old idiom that there's no place like home couldn't be truer for Erik Bedard despite just a 4-4 record in Pittsburgh.

In 11 starts at PNC Park this season, the Pirates lefty has a 2.63 ERA -- more than four runs lower than his 6.98 ERA in 12 road outings. Pittsburgh hopes Bedard's strong efforts at home keep up Sunday against the Brewers as the Pirates try to keep pace in the National League playoff race.

After Saturday's win, Pittsburgh is eight games back in the NL Central and one game back of St. Louis in the hunt for the second Wild Card spot.

"The numbers changed dramatically from two weeks ago, but we're not lowering the bar from our intent to win the division," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "We want to play well, win as many as we can, where that takes us, time will tell. The intent and desire and the focus is not going to change as long as I'm here."

While Bedard will try to continue his strong run at home, Brewers righty Mark Rogers will try to put together the first win streak of his career, eight years and four surgeries after he was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft.

Rogers earned his first career win last time out after Milwaukee's bullpen blew leads in three of his previous four starts. Against the Cubs, the righty threw the requisite five innings and gave up three runs while striking out seven.

Sunday's outing could be the last of Rogers' season, as he has thrown 124 innings between Milwaukee and Triple-A Nashville after throwing just 44 1/3 innings last year following wrist surgery.

"I don't know exactly how much longer they're going to let me pitch," Rogers said after his last start. "I still feel great, and I want to keep it that way. Unfortunately, that's out of my control, but I'm going to keep doing everything I can to prepare to pitch."

Brewers: Bianchi back in action
• Infielder Jeff Bianchi returned to Milwaukee's lineup Saturday after a three-day wait. Bianchi started at shortstop Saturday -- three days after joining the team in Milwaukee on Wednesday. Bianchi was unable to play right away because he had been with the club a week earlier when Mark Rogers was on paternity leave.

League rules demand that Bianchi spend at least 10 days in the Minors -- Triple-A Nashville, in this case -- before being recalled. As a result, he wasn't eligible to play for the Brewers until Saturday. He traveled with the team to Pittsburgh on Thursday, and spent Friday touring the city with his wife, Nicole.

"Very rare, but we got to spend some time together," he said. "I had a few days off, so I feel good, ready to go. The batteries are recharged."

Bianchi notched the first hits of his career, going 2-for-4 in Saturday's 4-0 win.

Pirates: Marte plays catch
• Outfielder Starling Marte, who has been on the 15-day disabled list since Aug. 19 with a strained right oblique, took a small step forward in his recovery process Friday when he played catch for the first time since suffering the injury.

"He's not going to be running the bases all of a sudden," Hurdle said. "He'll do things incrementally. But he is starting to move around more."

Marte was hitting .253 with four home runs and 10 RBIs in 23 games before the injury.

Worth noting
• With a 9-14 record in August, the Pirates will have a losing month for the first time since April.

MLB.com Comments