Florida @ Pittsburgh preview
PNC Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 21, 2011 ) Pittsburgh 5, Florida 9
THE STORY: Pittsburgh's Derrek Lee looks to continue his torrid pace against his former team as the Pirates begin a three-game series against the Florida Marlins on Friday. Lee is 10-for-20 with two homers and seven RBIs in five games since returning from a broken wrist. He has hit safely in nine of 10 contests since being acquired from the Baltimore Orioles on July 30. The Pirates are 2-1 on their nine-game homestand, while the Marlins are embarking on an 11-game road trip. Florida has lost nine of 11 away from home.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN (Florida), Root Sports (Pittsburgh)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Ricky Nolasco (9-10, 4.39 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Ross Ohlendorf (0-1, 6.35 ERA).
Nolasco is 0-2 with a 9.27 ERA in his last four starts, including a no-decision against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday in which he allowed four runs over six innings. The 28-year-old pitched well before a disastrous outing versus the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 17, yielding three earned runs or less in nine of 10 starts. Nolasco is 3-0 with 29 strikeouts and a 21-inning scoreless streak in his last three meetings with Pittsburgh.
Ohlendorf will be making his sixth start of the season and fourth since returning from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for over four months. He worked just four innings at Chicago on Saturday, surrendering three runs and seven hits in a no-decision. Ohlendorf is 1-2 in three career outings against Florida.
ABOUT THE PIRATES (66-77): Righthander Jared Hughes had an impressive major-league debut in Wednesday's win over Houston. Entering with runners on the corners and two outs in the fourth, Hughes got out of the jam and went on to work a scoreless fifth. Charlie Morton, who is winless in five starts, will have his turn in the rotation skipped Saturday. Lefthander Jeff Locke will make his debut in the majors in his place. Manager Clint Hurdle said Morton will get the call against the St. Louis Cardinals next Wednesday.
ABOUT THE MARLINS (63-79): Wednesday was a night of firsts for third baseman Matt Dominguez. The 22-year-old made his first start in the major leagues and singled in his first career at-bat in the second inning of Florida's 1-0 loss to New York. Dominguez actually made his first big-league appearance Tuesday as a pinch-hitter and was hit by a pitch. Outfielder Mike Cameron will be kept out of the lineup for a few more days due to a tight right hamstring. Cameron felt tightness in Tuesday's game and sat out Wednesday. Mike Stanton, meanwhile, is expected back in the lineup Friday or Saturday. Stanton has been bothered with a similar injury since Saturday.
FINAL PITCH: The Marlins announced that after the season finale on Sept. 28, a postgame ceremony will be held on the field during which the franchise's all-time team and top 10 memories will be announced. The club will be called the Miami Marlins beginning Nov. 11 and play in the new Marlins Ballpark next season.