Line Up, Notes for Arizona

It's a battle of lefties tonight, with Erik Bedard going against the D-Back's Joe Saunders at 9:40 PM. Bedard has been solid in his two appearances with a 2.25 ERA, but is 0-2 to show for it. In his last outing, Saunders tossed seven shutout innings against the Padres. The game will be shown on Root Sports.

The lineup: Alex Presley LF, Jose Tabata RF, Andrew McCutchen CF, Casey McGehee 1B, Neil Walker 2B, Rod Barajas C, Josh Harrison 3B, Clint Barmes SS, Erik Bedard P.

• Both Arizona and Pittsburgh have already been in six one-run games. In fact, the D-Backs 5-2 win over the Rox yesterday was the first game they've played this year that hasn't been decided by two or fewer runs.
• The Pirates have a 2.57 team ERA, fifth best in MLB. The starters have worked to a 2.96 ERA and the pen has put up a 1.78 ERA. 
• From John Perrotto: "The Pirates are first NL team since 1968 to neither score nor allow more than five runs in first nine games of a season. The Dodgers and Mets did it '68, the Year of the Pitcher." 
• Yesterday, Kevin Correia became the first Bucco starter to win a game since September 24th, 2011 when Brad Lincoln and friends beat the Reds 4-3. It was Correia's first win personally since July 28th of last season when he whipped the Braves 5-2. He lost the next three decisions before going on the DL with an oblique injury on August 22nd.
• Pittsburgh has seen alternating lefty/righty pitching since opening day. That oddity will end at Arizona this series. They'll face LHP Saunders and RHP Ian Kennedy before RHP Daniel Hudson breaks the streak on Wednesday. 
• Joel Hanrahan picked up the first Pirate save since he closed out a 9-8 win against the Brewers on September 26th, 2011.
• A little history note: On April 16th, 1985, Jose DeLeon tied the Bucco record for most strikeouts thrown in a game by a right-handed pitcher as he whiffed 14 Mets at TRS. He gave up four hits without a run or walk in 8 innings of work.  The Pirates went down 1-0, victims of a Ron Darling/Jesse Orosco one-hitter. Candy took the loss.
• Jim Callis of Baseball America likes SS Alen Hanson,  RHP Nick Kingham and LHP Zack Dodson as breakout candidates from Low A West Virginia. Hanson is tied for fourth in minor league baseball in hits with 19 and is in a four-way tie for the most extra base hits with ten. The 19 year old Dominican switch hitter has a line of .404/4/9 in 11 games for the Power.