[Kasey Kahne 9 fan]

vs.

PNC Park
August 3rd 7:05p Est
August 4th 7:05p Est
August 5th 1:35p Est

[Kasey Kahne 9 fan]

August 3rd preview:
Ian Snell RHP(7-9, 3.66)
Matt Belisle RHP(5-8, 5.30)
Scouting Report:
Reds: Belisle was close to losing his spot in the starting rotation when he took the mound against the Cubs on Sunday, and while his four-earned-run, nine-hit performance wasn't good enough for a win in the 6-0 Chicago victory, it did ensure that the right-hander would get at least one more chance to start as he continues to try to improve his pitch selection, command, and control.
Pirates: Though he picked up his fourth straight loss his last time out, Snell battled well enough to keep his team in the game despite not having his best control. Both manager Jim Tracy and Snell noted afterward that the right-hander was rushing his delivery, which led to some of those control struggles. In all, however, Snell had all of his pitches working effectively, and the start proved to be a step in the right direction after Snell came out of the break scuffling. Snell allowed three runs in 14 innings to the Reds in his two starts against the club earlier in the year.
link

The Pirates will begin a three game series with the Reds on Friday, looking to win three straight games for the first time in the second half. The Bucs have mustered just four wins since the All-Star break, but two of them have come in the past two days against the Cardinals.
Those two victories gave them their first series win of the second half and a sense of hope that they can begin to recapture the momentum they had when they finished the first half, winning nine of their last 13 games. They'll be up against a Reds team that has given them some trouble. They lost two of three in both home series the clubs played in April, but took three of four from them in Cincinnati.
link

[Kasey Kahne 9 fan]

The frustrations are showing.

A 4-15 skid will do that to a young team. And five straight losses has done that to starter Ian Snell. Any momentum the Pirates had built from two straight wins -- the most recent of which was of the thrilling walk-off variety -- was subsequently squashed by the end of the Reds' runaway 13-4 win over the Pirates in front of 22,874 at PNC Park on Friday.
link

[Kasey Kahne 9 fan]

Matt Morris RHP(7-7, 4.35)
Bobby Livingston LHP(2-2, 4.64)

Scouting Report:
Reds: In a 6-3 loss to the Nationals on Tuesday, Livingston's peaceful evening was undone by a five-run fifth inning in which he could not record an out. All five batters faced in his final frame reached, as he posted a line of five earned runs on eight hits over four-plus innings with two walks and two strikeouts.
Pirates: Morris will make his Pirates debut against the Reds on Saturday. The right-hander had a 2.56 ERA after he threw a complete game on June 11, but has struggled in eight starts since. He is 0-4 and has allowed 40 earned runs in that span to inflate his ERA almost two runs. He has been great at PNC Park in his career, going 6-0 with a 2.37 ERA at his new home.
link

Fans looking to see their first glimpse of newly acquired Matt Morris in a Pirates uniform will get to do so on Saturday as Morris takes the hill for the Pirates in the second game of a three-game set at PNC Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.
Morris' arrival in Pittsburgh came as a surprise to almost everybody, including Morris, who had been preparing for a possible trade, but admittedly not one to Pittsburgh. But after arriving in the Pirates clubhouse on Thursday, the shock has worn off, and now Morris is eager to make his debut in black and gold.
link

[Lefty Noob]

Well, time to see what Matt Morris has. Hopefully he can get the job done.

[Lefty Noob]

Rainout on Sunday, after a tough extra-innings loss on Saturday. They're going to make it up as a double-header later in the month.

[azrael492]

I hope to be at that game.