Len & Bob's baseball blog

* Derrek Lee ranks second in the National League with a .391 batting average. It’s a mark not out of character for him, considering his .419 average in April 2005 is the only time a Cub has produced a higher average in April over the past half-century. * In 50 games against his old team, Aramis Ramirez has torched the Pirates for a .316 average, with 16 homers, 26 RBI, and scored 44 runs. * Only teammate Ted Lilly (.216 on-base % against) has made it tougher for opposing hitters to reach base than Rich Hill (.226) in all of baseball (min. 1.0 IP per team game). * The Pirates 26 infield hits are second in the National League while the Cubs 11 are the fewest.* *Since 2005, Michael Barrett (#2 .644) , Derrek Lee (#4 .607), and Aramis Ramirez (#5 .602) are in the top 5 of NL hitters vs. LHP along with Pittsburgh's Jason Bay (#3 .613). Who's first? Ex-Cub Moises Alou at .677. ** These teams will be meeting for the first time this season. Last year, the Pirates won the season series 9-6, after not having won a season series with the Cubs since 2000. * Chicago has averaged 7.3 runs during its modest three-game win streak (22/3). The Cubs haven’t won four in a row since last August 13-16. * Rich Hill ranks third in the majors with a 1.57 ERA, and second with a .146 opponent batting average (Matt Cain, .109). In two starts against Pittsburgh, he is 1-0 with a 1.26 ERA (2 ER/14.1 IP). * Chicago has three players riding hit streaks of at least eight games: Mark DeRosa (10 games), Alfonso Soriano (nine), and Derrek Lee (eight). * The Pirates are hitting .211 this season with runners in scoring position, ranking 29th in MLB (Nationals, .174). * Adam LaRoche has the lowest batting average in the majors among qualifiers (10-for-80, .125; min. 3.1 PA/Team G). * Zach Duke’s 1.40 career ERA versus the Cubs (in six starts) is the lowest among active pitchers against Chicago (min. five starts).

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