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Tuesday, May 20, 2003

By Robert Dvorchak, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Series: Chicago Cubs vs. Pirates, three games at PNC Park.

Times: 7:05 p.m. today, tomorrow and Thursday.

TV, radio: Today and tomorrow on Fox Sports Net; all games on KDKA-AM (1020) and the Pirates radio network.

Probable starters: RHP Kerry Wood (4-1), RHP Matt Clement (2-5) and RHP Mark Prior (5-1) for the Cubs; RHP Jeff D'Amico (3-4), RHP Kris Benson (4-5) and RHP Kip Wells (1-2) for the Pirates.

About the Pirates: Play their next 12 games against Cubs and the Cardinals. ... Are 2-4 against the Cubs this season. ... Are 6-16 at home and are still looking for first series win at home. ... Wood struck out 13 Pirates in a shutout win April 12. . ... Against Wood, Kevin Young is 12 for 27 with three home runs and eight RBIs. Reggie Sanders is 0 for 11 with eight strikeouts. ... Against Clement, Brian Giles is 8 for 20 with one home run. Aramis Ramirez is 6 for 25 with three doubles, a home run and seven RBIs. Kenny Lofton is 2 for 16 and Jack Wilson is 2 for 18. ... Against Prior, Jason Kendall has four hits in his previous four at-bats, including two doubles. Lofton is 0 for 7 and Ramirez is 0 for 9.

About the Cubs: Corey Patterson has an 11-game hitting streak (17 for 45 with three homers and 12 RBIs). ... Pitchers have committed 12 errors. ... Five Cubs relievers have more strikeouts than innings pitched. ... Are 5-3 on their current 14-game road trip, their longest of season. ... Are 13-10 on road and have won four of eight road series. .Are 0-5 against D'Amico but haven't faced him since Sept. 18, 2000. ... Against D'Amico, Moises Alou is 3 for 4 with a double and a home run. Troy O'Leary is 4 for 9. ... Against Benson, Alou is 2 for 16, Damian Miller 5 for 14, with a home run and Corey Patterson 4 for 13. ... Against Wells, O'Leary is 5 for 10 with a triple and a home run. Hee Seop Choi is 2 for 7 with a double and home run, and Alex Gonzalez is 7 for 24 with a home run.

On deck: Pirates have three home games against the Cardinals; Cubs are in Houston for three games.

If Lloyd McClendon's statement that the Pirates will be back in the National League Central Division race by the middle of June is to carry any credence, the Pirates will have to pick things up beginning tonight at home against the Cubs. The Pirates have six games at home against the Cubs and Cardinals, then play six games against the same two teams on the road next week. The Pirates have the worst home record (6-16) in the National League. The only team with a worse home record in baseball is Detroit. "Other than we've played [bad] at home, I don't know what else to tell you. We play good baseball on the road. We play bad baseball at home. I'm as flummoxed as the next person," McClendon said. "Hopefully, we're to the point where we can relax a little bit. We have our big bopper back in the lineup." In the past week, McClendon has said that he needs Kris Benson to be better on the mound and for Brian Giles and Aramis Ramirez, his Nos. 3 and 4 hitters, to start producing. Giles is hitting .156 at PNC Park, and Ramirez is hitting .205. Jason Kendall has a .237 home batting average. Closer Mike Williams, who has not given up a run on the road, has a 14.14 ERA and two losses at home.

There was no official word last night on whether Dennys Reyes had accepted an assignment to Class AAA Nashville or would try to sign with another team. The left-handed reliever was given his release Friday and had 72 hours to decide on staying with the Pirates or seeking employment elsewhere. In 12 appearances, Reyes had a 10.45 ERA. With Reyes gone, 10 of the 12 pitchers on staff are right-handers.

Class AA Altoona traded RHP Brad Guy to the Reading Phillies yesterday for future considerations. Guy was a 27th-round selection of the Pirates in 1997. He was the Curve's all-time leader in games pitched with 116 appearances.

The Diamondbacks tied an NL record Sunday with four sacrifice flies in an 8-6 win against the Pirates. It is the 13th time an NL team has had four sacrifice flies in a game. Seattle had five against Oakland in 1988 for the major-league mark.

NASHVILLE (23-18) lost, 6-3, at Albuquerque. Starter Matt Guerrier (0-3) yielded one unearned run on four hits in five innings. LF John Barnes and RF J.J. Davis each hit solo home runs, and C Humberto Cota had a hit and an RBI.

ALTOONA (20-20) won, 7-1, at Binghamton. Starter Mike Connolly (3-2) went six innings, allowing a run on five hits with nine strikeouts. LF Josh Bonifay had two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. 3B Kevin Nicholson also had two RBIs.

LYNCHBURG (23-15) was rained out.

HICKORY (28-12) was rained out.