What a difference one trip through the rotation makes.
Ian Snell takes the mound for the Pirates tonight. Last week, he took the mound against Yovani Gallardo, was shut out and allowed a home run to the pitcher. Tonight, he faces Jeff Suppan, meaning odds are the Pirates will find a way to score tonight and the pitcher won't go deep.
Snell is 1-3 in 2009 with a 3.72 ERA. His record is deceptive: the Pirates have been shut out in two of his three losses. He beat the Braves 10-0 for his only win, and in his other four starts the Pirates have given him just six runs to work with.
Meanwhile, Jeff Suppan looks to keep his string of good starts alive. After a terrible start to 2009, Suppan is 1-0 with a 2.95 ERA in his last three games, and the Brewers went 3-0 in those contests. If you haven't yet, you should take a look at Jordan's post from earlier today discussing Suppan's performance in his last few starts.
At any rate, game time is 6:05 from Pittsburgh. The lineup is more or less back to normal, with Bill Hall missing, as expected:
Rickie Weeks 2B
Craig Counsell 3B
Ryan Braun LF
Prince Fielder 1B
Mike Cameron CF
Corey Hart RF
J.J. Hardy SS
Jason Kendall C
Jeff Suppan RHP
Tuesday's Game Thread is now open.