Pre-Game Notebook

Keep dry, peeps...

• It's Gerritt Cole v Shelby Miller in tonight's game, if the sprinkler turns off in time. 
• By April 27th, the Pirates will have played 26 NL Central games - seven against the Brewers and Reds, six against the Cards and Cubs. Not much wiggle room for a sluggish start.
• All six games played by the Bucs and Cards this year have been decided by a run.
• Yesterday's two bat-wasting bunts were on the hitters (Starling Marte, Gaby Sanchez); they both had the green light after failing at called bunt tries but chose to put the ball down again.
• Clint Hurdle took home the 2014 Rooney Award last night for outstanding contributions to the Pittsburgh area.
• Jason Grilli received the Man of the Year award at the National Italian American Sports HOF Dinner on Sunday.
• PNC Park was rated the seventh best for craft beers by the Daily Meal, behind division rivals Milwaukee and Cincinnati, and cross-state foe Philadelphia.
• Indy was rained out of its scheduled opener. Casey Sadler and the Indians will try again tonight at Columbus. 
• Lucas Duda will be the Mets' starting first baseman. Wonder how and if that will impact Ike Davis' value?
• Weather permitting, Pitt (15-13, 7-5 ACC) has a three game homestand against Virginia (25-4, 10-2 ACC), ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, starting at 3 p.m. today at Charles L. Cost Field.