Colorado Rockies vs Pittsburgh Pirates mlb live streaming online broadcast major league baseball feed Espn 360 gamecast 4/7, 2011 Manager Clint Hurdle has helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win back-to-back series to open a season for the first time in eight years.
Hurdle now looks for that success to carry against his former team.
After an impressive road trip, the Pirates begin a four-game set against the Colorado Rockies with Thursday's home opener.
Pittsburgh (4-2) finished at the bottom of the NL Central for a fourth consecutive season in 2010 due largely to its major league-worst 17-64 road record.
However, the Pirates started this season by winning two of three games over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, and they won in St. Louis for the second time in thee games Wednesday with a 3-1 victory. It's the first time they have won their first two series since 2003, the only time in the past decade they finished with more than 72 wins.
1:35 PM ET, April 7, 2011
PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pitching Matchup
Colorado Pittsburgh
Esmil Rogers
0-0, 0.00 ERA
Paul Maholm
0-0, 0.00 ERA
Last appearance:
4/02 at CHC
6.2 IP, 0 ER
Dec = ND
Gameday Lineups
NO. Colorado Pittsburgh
1. D. Fowler, CF J. Tabata, LF
2. R. Spilborghs, RF N. Walker, 2B
3. C. Gonzalez, LF A. McCutchen, CF
4. T. Tulowitzki, SS L. Overbay, 1B
5. J. Lopez, 2B P. Alvarez, 3B
6. T. Helton, 1B R. Doumit, C
7. T. Wigginton, 3B G. Jones, RF
8. C. Iannetta, C R. Cedeno, SS
9. E. Rogers, P P. Maholm, P
"We're not going to lower the bar based on other people's opinions of who we are or what we are," Hurdle said. "We've got to get championship-level execution and we've got to have those standards."
Hurdle spent eight seasons as Rockies manager and led them to the World Series four years ago before getting fired in May 2009.
"It's cool that we're playing them," Hurdle said. "It drips with irony. It's perfect. Matter of fact it's a layup. You can't write this stuff up by yourself. Life takes care of things and sports takes care of things."
The Pirates, whose 5.00 ERA in 2010 was the worst in baseball, have a 2.60 ERA this year and will look for Paul Maholm to build off the success of his first start.
Maholm (0-0, 0.00) allowed five hits and two walks over 6 2/3 scoreless innings of Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Cubs. The left-hander, though, is 1-6 with a 7.11 ERA over eight career starts against Colorado -- including five straight losses.
Like the Pirates, the Rockies (3-1) struggled away from home last season, and now they're starting an eight-game trip.
Colorado is coming off a two-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers, including Wednesday's 7-5 victory.
"That was two things we concentrated on that gave us trouble last year, the Dodgers and road games," shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. "We took care of the Dodgers. Now, if we can get some road games out of the way, we're out on the right foot."
Tulowitzki, who went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and homered for the second straight game, could be in line for another big day. He is 44 for 99 (.444) with five home runs lifetime against Pittsburgh, including a .471 average at PNC Park.
Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, who led the NL with a .336 average last season, went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI on Wednesday and came up with a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch in the ninth inning to help preserve Colorado's third straight win.
"That's why he's my favorite player, first of all," Tulowitzki said. "A guy that can change games on both ends is pretty special."
The Rockies, who were 31-50 in road games in 2010 and lost their last eight, will send Esmil Rogers to the mound for his season debut. Rogers went 1-2 with 6.34 ERA in eight starts last season.
That lone victory came in an 8-4 win at Pittsburgh on Aug. 8, 2010, as the right-hander gave up eight hits and four runs -- three earned -- over six innings while Maholm allowed eight runs -- six earned -- in 2 2/3 innings.
Hurdle now looks for that success to carry against his former team.
After an impressive road trip, the Pirates begin a four-game set against the Colorado Rockies with Thursday's home opener.
Pittsburgh (4-2) finished at the bottom of the NL Central for a fourth consecutive season in 2010 due largely to its major league-worst 17-64 road record.
However, the Pirates started this season by winning two of three games over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, and they won in St. Louis for the second time in thee games Wednesday with a 3-1 victory. It's the first time they have won their first two series since 2003, the only time in the past decade they finished with more than 72 wins.
1:35 PM ET, April 7, 2011
PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Colorado Pittsburgh
Esmil Rogers
0-0, 0.00 ERA
Paul Maholm
0-0, 0.00 ERA
Last appearance:
4/02 at CHC
6.2 IP, 0 ER
Dec = ND
Gameday Lineups
NO. Colorado Pittsburgh
1. D. Fowler, CF J. Tabata, LF
2. R. Spilborghs, RF N. Walker, 2B
3. C. Gonzalez, LF A. McCutchen, CF
4. T. Tulowitzki, SS L. Overbay, 1B
5. J. Lopez, 2B P. Alvarez, 3B
6. T. Helton, 1B R. Doumit, C
7. T. Wigginton, 3B G. Jones, RF
8. C. Iannetta, C R. Cedeno, SS
9. E. Rogers, P P. Maholm, P
"We're not going to lower the bar based on other people's opinions of who we are or what we are," Hurdle said. "We've got to get championship-level execution and we've got to have those standards."
Hurdle spent eight seasons as Rockies manager and led them to the World Series four years ago before getting fired in May 2009.
"It's cool that we're playing them," Hurdle said. "It drips with irony. It's perfect. Matter of fact it's a layup. You can't write this stuff up by yourself. Life takes care of things and sports takes care of things."
The Pirates, whose 5.00 ERA in 2010 was the worst in baseball, have a 2.60 ERA this year and will look for Paul Maholm to build off the success of his first start.
Maholm (0-0, 0.00) allowed five hits and two walks over 6 2/3 scoreless innings of Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Cubs. The left-hander, though, is 1-6 with a 7.11 ERA over eight career starts against Colorado -- including five straight losses.
Like the Pirates, the Rockies (3-1) struggled away from home last season, and now they're starting an eight-game trip.
Colorado is coming off a two-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers, including Wednesday's 7-5 victory.
"That was two things we concentrated on that gave us trouble last year, the Dodgers and road games," shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. "We took care of the Dodgers. Now, if we can get some road games out of the way, we're out on the right foot."
Tulowitzki, who went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and homered for the second straight game, could be in line for another big day. He is 44 for 99 (.444) with five home runs lifetime against Pittsburgh, including a .471 average at PNC Park.
Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, who led the NL with a .336 average last season, went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI on Wednesday and came up with a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch in the ninth inning to help preserve Colorado's third straight win.
"That's why he's my favorite player, first of all," Tulowitzki said. "A guy that can change games on both ends is pretty special."
The Rockies, who were 31-50 in road games in 2010 and lost their last eight, will send Esmil Rogers to the mound for his season debut. Rogers went 1-2 with 6.34 ERA in eight starts last season.
That lone victory came in an 8-4 win at Pittsburgh on Aug. 8, 2010, as the right-hander gave up eight hits and four runs -- three earned -- over six innings while Maholm allowed eight runs -- six earned -- in 2 2/3 innings.
