Pittsburgh Pirates vs Cincinnati Reds live streaming major league baseball audio video feed online coverage radio commentary soapcast internet tv espn 360 gamecast april 15, 2011. Game Review: Bronson Arroyo has enjoyed plenty of recent success against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Looking to open 3-0 for the second time in three seasons, Arroyo takes the mound for the Cincinnati Reds as they return home to open a four-game set with Pittsburgh.
After taking the first two games in this week's series with San Diego, Cincinnati (8-4) fell 3-2 on Wednesday to finish its road trip 3-3.
7:10 PM ET, April 15, 2011
Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio
Pitching Matchup
Pittsburgh v Cincinnati
Charlie Morton
1-0, 2.08 ERA
Last appearance:
4/09 vs COL
7.0 IP, 2 ER
Dec = ND
Bronson Arroyo
2-0, 2.08 ERA
Last appearance:
4/09 at ARI
6.0 IP, 0 ER
Dec = Win
Injury Report
Pittsburgh
* Joe Beimel RP - Apr 14: Day-to-Day
* Chris Snyder C - Apr 14: 15-Day DL
* Evan Meek RP - Apr 13: Day-To-Day
Cincinnati
* Jose Arredondo SP - Apr 15: 15-Day DL
* Aroldis Chapman RP - Apr 14: Day-To-Day
* Johnny Cueto SP - Apr 14: 15-Day DL
* Fred Lewis CF - Apr 14: 15-Day DL
* Brandon Phillips 2B - Apr 13: Day-To-Day
* Jay Bruce RF - Apr 13: Day-To-Day
* Homer Bailey SP - Apr 12: 15-Day DL
* Edinson Volquez SP - Apr 11: Day-To-Day
"It's very disappointing," first baseman Joey Votto told the Reds' official website. "... I think for our first road trip, especially it being a West Coast trip, for us to have gone home with a winning record would've been a really positive thing for the team. It would have said a lot about us."
Cincinnati averaged 4.8 runs on the road but has scored 7.5 per game at home, where it has outscored Pittsburgh 73-40 while winning 12 of 15.
Arroyo (2-0, 2.08 ERA), who started the 2009 season 3-0, has also excelled in the series, going 5-1 with a 1.73 ERA in his last six meetings with the Pirates. That includes a 0.66 ERA during wins in his last two home starts against them.
Despite battling an ongoing case of mononucleosis, Arroyo recorded his fifth straight win dating to last season after limiting Arizona to eight hits and one unearned run over six innings of Saturday's 6-1 victory.
"There's a reason he wins ballgames," Diamondbacks first baseman Russell Branyan said. "He knows how to pitch. He uses our aggressiveness against us, pitches backwards a lot of times. It's really tough as a hitter to really sell out, because he's such a smart pitcher, he kind of feeds off what you're doing up there."
Despite his effectiveness, Arroyo has yet to make it past the seventh inning or reach the 95-pitch mark due to his illness.
"He is still battling the strength problem," manager Dusty Baker said.
The Pirates (5-7), meanwhile, can't seem to get anything going offensively, and saw their batting average drop to .223 after collecting just four hits for the second consecutive night Thursday.
After Tuesday's game was postponed due to rain, Pittsburgh lost 6-0 to Milwaukee on Wednesday and 4-1 in the series finale.
Manager Clint Hurdle's team has dropped four straight while averaging 2.5 runs.
"Hitting is contagious, and we need to get a couple guys hot," Hurdle said. "We've got to get everybody involved to some degree. We just have some pieces not hot and not contributing right now. We haven't been able to connect the dots from the top to the bottom of the lineup."
Outfielder Andrew McCutchen went 7 for 18 (.389) with two homers during his first five games but went 0 for 2 on Thursday and is 2 for 23 (.087) over his last six. McCutchen is 0 for 9 lifetime against Arroyo.
Promising 24-year-old third baseman Pedro Alvarez, who hit 13 home runs and drove in 53 runs after the 2010 All-Star break, is batting .196 to begin his first full season.
Charlie Morton (1-0, 2.08), the Pirates' scheduled starter, allowed five hits and three runs -- two earned -- in seven innings of Saturday's 6-4 loss to Colorado but didn't factor in the decision.
Morton, who has walked five batters in each of his two starts, is 0-4 with a 7.18 ERA in his last five starts against the Reds.
PiratesIf the right-hander's first two starts of the season are any indication, the struggling Pirates offense could have a hard time snapping out of its funk Friday night.
(5-7, 4-2 away)
Reds
(8-4, 5-1 home)
Looking to open 3-0 for the second time in three seasons, Arroyo takes the mound for the Cincinnati Reds as they return home to open a four-game set with Pittsburgh.
After taking the first two games in this week's series with San Diego, Cincinnati (8-4) fell 3-2 on Wednesday to finish its road trip 3-3.
7:10 PM ET, April 15, 2011
Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio
Pittsburgh v Cincinnati
Charlie Morton
1-0, 2.08 ERA
Last appearance:
4/09 vs COL
7.0 IP, 2 ER
Dec = ND
Bronson Arroyo
2-0, 2.08 ERA
Last appearance:
4/09 at ARI
6.0 IP, 0 ER
Dec = Win
Injury Report
Pittsburgh
* Joe Beimel RP - Apr 14: Day-to-Day
* Chris Snyder C - Apr 14: 15-Day DL
* Evan Meek RP - Apr 13: Day-To-Day
Cincinnati
* Jose Arredondo SP - Apr 15: 15-Day DL
* Aroldis Chapman RP - Apr 14: Day-To-Day
* Johnny Cueto SP - Apr 14: 15-Day DL
* Fred Lewis CF - Apr 14: 15-Day DL
* Brandon Phillips 2B - Apr 13: Day-To-Day
* Jay Bruce RF - Apr 13: Day-To-Day
* Homer Bailey SP - Apr 12: 15-Day DL
* Edinson Volquez SP - Apr 11: Day-To-Day
"It's very disappointing," first baseman Joey Votto told the Reds' official website. "... I think for our first road trip, especially it being a West Coast trip, for us to have gone home with a winning record would've been a really positive thing for the team. It would have said a lot about us."
Cincinnati averaged 4.8 runs on the road but has scored 7.5 per game at home, where it has outscored Pittsburgh 73-40 while winning 12 of 15.
Arroyo (2-0, 2.08 ERA), who started the 2009 season 3-0, has also excelled in the series, going 5-1 with a 1.73 ERA in his last six meetings with the Pirates. That includes a 0.66 ERA during wins in his last two home starts against them.
Despite battling an ongoing case of mononucleosis, Arroyo recorded his fifth straight win dating to last season after limiting Arizona to eight hits and one unearned run over six innings of Saturday's 6-1 victory.
"There's a reason he wins ballgames," Diamondbacks first baseman Russell Branyan said. "He knows how to pitch. He uses our aggressiveness against us, pitches backwards a lot of times. It's really tough as a hitter to really sell out, because he's such a smart pitcher, he kind of feeds off what you're doing up there."
Despite his effectiveness, Arroyo has yet to make it past the seventh inning or reach the 95-pitch mark due to his illness.
"He is still battling the strength problem," manager Dusty Baker said.
The Pirates (5-7), meanwhile, can't seem to get anything going offensively, and saw their batting average drop to .223 after collecting just four hits for the second consecutive night Thursday.
After Tuesday's game was postponed due to rain, Pittsburgh lost 6-0 to Milwaukee on Wednesday and 4-1 in the series finale.
Manager Clint Hurdle's team has dropped four straight while averaging 2.5 runs.
"Hitting is contagious, and we need to get a couple guys hot," Hurdle said. "We've got to get everybody involved to some degree. We just have some pieces not hot and not contributing right now. We haven't been able to connect the dots from the top to the bottom of the lineup."
Outfielder Andrew McCutchen went 7 for 18 (.389) with two homers during his first five games but went 0 for 2 on Thursday and is 2 for 23 (.087) over his last six. McCutchen is 0 for 9 lifetime against Arroyo.
Promising 24-year-old third baseman Pedro Alvarez, who hit 13 home runs and drove in 53 runs after the 2010 All-Star break, is batting .196 to begin his first full season.
Charlie Morton (1-0, 2.08), the Pirates' scheduled starter, allowed five hits and three runs -- two earned -- in seven innings of Saturday's 6-4 loss to Colorado but didn't factor in the decision.
Morton, who has walked five batters in each of his two starts, is 0-4 with a 7.18 ERA in his last five starts against the Reds.
