Pre Game Potpourri

-- With Andrew McCutchen batting third now, JR has returned the pitcher to the nine hole in the batting order. You can debate batting the pitcher eighth all you want, but there's no question that penciling McClutch into the two spot was a brain cramp on Russell's part.

-- Chris Jakubauskas doesn't suffer from lightheadedness or dizzy spells any more after being clocked with a liner on April 24th. He's doing some moderate off-field exercise, but isn't permitted to take part in any baseball activities yet. Jaku hopes to be cleared for practice next week.

-- Five of Pittsburgh's eleven wins have been come-from-behind victories, and three of those were walk-off rallies.

-- Indy's Jose Tabata has gotten aboard to lead-off the game in each of his last five contests after singling in his first at bat against Lehigh Valley last night. He's also reached base in all but one game that he's played this season and leads all Triple-A hitters with 35 hits.

-- Curve lefty Rudy Owens tossed six no-hit innings and struck out eleven batters in a 9-1 thumping of the Giant's AA Richmond Flying Squirrels yesterday (Rocky must have been off). He allowed one base runner when he walked the pitcher (arrrgh!). Owens is 3-0 with a 2.83 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and has 28 K's in 28 innings for Altoona.

-- Bradenton's Bryan Morris pitched seven innings of four hit, shutout ball against Palm Beach to win his third game by 3-0 tally. He has an 0.78 ERA so far this season.

-- West Virginia's Melkin Laureano, 24, pitched six scoreless innings, allowing three hits while striking out five in a 5-0 win against Greensboro. Laureno is a Dominican who spent three season with the A's organization before Pittsburgh picked him up last year. He's being converted from a closer to a long man/spot starter, and has a 1.40 ERA for the Power.

-- Florida just didn't reclaim John Raynor from the Pirates, but brought in a golden oldie, too. The Marlins signed first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz to a minor league deal, according to Baseball America writer Matt Eddy's Transactions section.

-- Matt Capps has eleven saves and an 0.63 ERA for Washington, with 15 strikeouts in 14 innings, and won the Major League Baseball Delivery Man Award in April.