Post by Fish Troll on Apr 30, 2007 22:07:58 GMT -5
Notes: Doumit pouncing on opportunity
Nady targets Thursday for return; Pearce jumps to Double-A
By George Von Benko / Special to MLB.com
PITTSBURGH -- All Ryan Doumit wants is a chance to play, and with the way he has been swinging the bat of late, the Pirates are going to be hard pressed not to give him that chance.
Doumit was recalled from the Minors on Thursday. While playing at Indianapolis, the Pirates' Triple-A club, he batted .415 with 20 RBIs in 16 games. Against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, he was 4-for-4 with two singles, a double and a homer. He drove in two runs and scored two.
"I'm seeing the ball well," Doumit said. "My swing is right where I feel like I need it to be, and I'm getting a chance to get in there and play."
The run total the Pirates posted Sunday at PNC Park in a 9-5 loss to the Reds was their fourth highest of the season. Once they've scored seven, twice they've scored six. Twelve times they've scored three or fewer.
Going into Monday's action, the Pirates were next to last in the National League in batting average, total bases, runs batted in and slugging percentage. They are last in on-base percentage, base on balls and hits.
With the lack of offensive production, Pirates manager Jim Tracy may want to ride Doumit's hot bat.
"We look daily to see what makes sense for [Doumit]," Tracy said. "He's a good right-handed hitter but a much better left-handed hitter. When we find ways to utilize him, we will."
Doumit is letting his bat do his talking as far as playing time.
"It's up to the skipper," he said.
Tracy put Doumit back in the lineup in right field for Monday night's contest with the Cubs.
"With where we're at right now, with some of the things that we've got going on, you don't have a choice," Tracy said. "You've got to get him up here, and you've got to try and find ways to get him in the lineup and get him at-bats."
Nady update: Pirates right fielder Xavier Nady tested his strained left hamstring, which had kept him out of the starting lineup for seven games, by running the bases on Sunday morning. However, he isn't likely to return to the lineup until at least Thursday, when the Pirates open a seven-game road trip in Milwaukee.
Nady, though, is available to pinch-hit, and he struck out against the Reds' David Weathers to end Sunday's game.
"I still feel some uncomfortable grabbing," Nady reported. "I don't have a time frame, that's the tough part."
Nady will run again on Tuesday.
Minor matters: The Pirates have promoted Steve Pearce, one of their top power prospects, from High Class A Lynchburg to Double-A Altoona.
"I didn't expect the promotion to come so soon," Pearce stated. "But I think I'm ready for it, and I'm pumped."
Pearce, a right-handed hitter, finished a tremendous hitting spree Sunday in Lynchburg's 12-5 victory at Myrtle Beach. The first baseman hit two home runs, giving him 11 in 13 games. He leads the Minor Leagues with those 11 home runs this season.
"The ball looks so big to me right now," Pearce explained. "I'm seeing it so well and I'm getting good pitches to hit, and I'm not missing them."
Selected by Pittsburgh in the eighth round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, Pearce is currently hitting .347 with 11 home runs, 24 RBIs and an .867 slugging percentage after his first 19 games.
Pearce considered himself too streaky at the plate last season and has been working hard to improve his consistency.
"Sometimes I didn't have good plate discipline," Pearce offered. "That's something I've worked real hard on. I want to cut down on the strikeouts and get more productive at-bats and make better contact."
Because Altoona was off Monday, Pearce will make his Curve debut Tuesday night.
On deck: The Pirates face the Cubs in the second of their three-game series at 7:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday at PNC Park. Right-hander Tony Armas (0-2, 11.57) will pitch for the Pirates. He will be opposed by Cubs lefty Ted Lilly (2-2, 2.18).
George Von Benko is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Nady targets Thursday for return; Pearce jumps to Double-A
By George Von Benko / Special to MLB.com
PITTSBURGH -- All Ryan Doumit wants is a chance to play, and with the way he has been swinging the bat of late, the Pirates are going to be hard pressed not to give him that chance.
Doumit was recalled from the Minors on Thursday. While playing at Indianapolis, the Pirates' Triple-A club, he batted .415 with 20 RBIs in 16 games. Against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, he was 4-for-4 with two singles, a double and a homer. He drove in two runs and scored two.
"I'm seeing the ball well," Doumit said. "My swing is right where I feel like I need it to be, and I'm getting a chance to get in there and play."
The run total the Pirates posted Sunday at PNC Park in a 9-5 loss to the Reds was their fourth highest of the season. Once they've scored seven, twice they've scored six. Twelve times they've scored three or fewer.
Going into Monday's action, the Pirates were next to last in the National League in batting average, total bases, runs batted in and slugging percentage. They are last in on-base percentage, base on balls and hits.
With the lack of offensive production, Pirates manager Jim Tracy may want to ride Doumit's hot bat.
"We look daily to see what makes sense for [Doumit]," Tracy said. "He's a good right-handed hitter but a much better left-handed hitter. When we find ways to utilize him, we will."
Doumit is letting his bat do his talking as far as playing time.
"It's up to the skipper," he said.
Tracy put Doumit back in the lineup in right field for Monday night's contest with the Cubs.
"With where we're at right now, with some of the things that we've got going on, you don't have a choice," Tracy said. "You've got to get him up here, and you've got to try and find ways to get him in the lineup and get him at-bats."
Nady update: Pirates right fielder Xavier Nady tested his strained left hamstring, which had kept him out of the starting lineup for seven games, by running the bases on Sunday morning. However, he isn't likely to return to the lineup until at least Thursday, when the Pirates open a seven-game road trip in Milwaukee.
Nady, though, is available to pinch-hit, and he struck out against the Reds' David Weathers to end Sunday's game.
"I still feel some uncomfortable grabbing," Nady reported. "I don't have a time frame, that's the tough part."
Nady will run again on Tuesday.
Minor matters: The Pirates have promoted Steve Pearce, one of their top power prospects, from High Class A Lynchburg to Double-A Altoona.
"I didn't expect the promotion to come so soon," Pearce stated. "But I think I'm ready for it, and I'm pumped."
Pearce, a right-handed hitter, finished a tremendous hitting spree Sunday in Lynchburg's 12-5 victory at Myrtle Beach. The first baseman hit two home runs, giving him 11 in 13 games. He leads the Minor Leagues with those 11 home runs this season.
"The ball looks so big to me right now," Pearce explained. "I'm seeing it so well and I'm getting good pitches to hit, and I'm not missing them."
Selected by Pittsburgh in the eighth round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, Pearce is currently hitting .347 with 11 home runs, 24 RBIs and an .867 slugging percentage after his first 19 games.
Pearce considered himself too streaky at the plate last season and has been working hard to improve his consistency.
"Sometimes I didn't have good plate discipline," Pearce offered. "That's something I've worked real hard on. I want to cut down on the strikeouts and get more productive at-bats and make better contact."
Because Altoona was off Monday, Pearce will make his Curve debut Tuesday night.
On deck: The Pirates face the Cubs in the second of their three-game series at 7:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday at PNC Park. Right-hander Tony Armas (0-2, 11.57) will pitch for the Pirates. He will be opposed by Cubs lefty Ted Lilly (2-2, 2.18).
George Von Benko is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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