Game 91: Pirates (47-43) at Astros

I've managed to post one series preview in the past two months, so clearly I'll be able to handle doing a preview for every game from now on. Joe Beimel is back on the roster, Daniel Moskos is in Indianapolis, and the Pirates are in Houston this weekend to play baseball's worst team in a series sure to spark terrible trade speculation. Last time we played the Astros, someone called The Fan to suggest trading Ronny Cedeno straight up for Hunter Pence. it's a great move, and Neil Huntington will pull that one off on the same day he trades wives with Gavin Rossdale.One sports question I've always wondered is what a team's reaction is to making these decisions. Is it "I think we'll go with Brett Myers to start the first game after the break."? Or is it "Goddamn it, we've somehow fucked this up to a point where we have to start Brett Motherfucking Myers."

LINEUPS

Astros
Bourn cf (.287/.351/.395)
Downs 3b (.270/.368/.540)
Keppinger 2b (.301/.316/.390)
Pence rf (.323/.364/.496)
Lee lf (.268/.316/.425)
Wallace 1b (.285/.364/.406)
Barmes ss (.250/.324/.379)
Quintero c (.235/.270/.304)
Myers p (3-9, 4.88)

Pirates
Presley lf (.365/.424/.577)
d'Arnaud ss (.221/.243/.309)
Walker 2b (.264/.329/.398)
McCutchen cf (.291/.390/.505)
Jones rf (.248/.335/.434)
Overbay 1b (.240/.310/.357)
Harrison 3b (.274/.282/.321)
McKenry c (.246/.274/.333)
Karstens p (7-4, 2.55)

By coming up at the same time as Alex Presley, Chase d'Arnaud has gotten a reputation for getting off to a good start at the top of the lineup. It's understandable - I got a reputation for being a degenerate by living across the street from a halfway house - but it's also undeserved when he hasn't been hitting, has five errors, and generally looks like a guy who should still be in the minor leagues. With no news on Ronny Cedeno's return, it's fine to leave d'Arnaud in there but he should be moved down in the lineup if he doesn't hit this weekend.

Game time is at 8:05, sweethearts.