Game 88: Cardinals at Pirates

Pirates making their first appearance of the season on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball.
Probables: Tim Cooney (0-0, 3.95) vs. Francisco Liriano (5-6, 2.99)
Game preview:
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/201507...game_pk=414985
"Cardinals, Pirates bring season's first half to a close
By Tom Singer / MLB.com | + 0 COMMENTS
On the path to what could be a historic pennant race, the Cardinals and Pirates will step into the All-Star Game break in a historic manner when they meet on Sunday night in the final game of the season's first half. In the last quarter-century, only two teams have entered the break with staff ERAs below 3.00 -- and the Bucs and Cards are about to double that.
When Pirates manager Clint Hurdle attributed these teams' National League-best records to both having "pitched very, very well," he wasn't kidding. The St. Louis staff took a team ERA of 2.66 into Saturday night's game, the Bucs were next at 2.83, and both were assured of those numbers staying in the 2s after Sunday night. The 1991 Dodgers (2.89) and 2002 Braves (2.99) are the only teams since 1990 able to make that boast.
The lead men in Sunday's series finale will be Pirates veteran lefty Francisco Liriano and 24-year-old right-hander Tim Cooney of the Cards, a Pennsylvania native who will be making his fourth big league start, still awaiting his first decision. Cooney's hometown, Collegeville, is 290 miles from the PNC Park pitching mound.
Things to know about this game
• The Pirates will be entering the break with a winning record for the fifth straight year. Yes, they were first-half winners even in 2011 (47-43), which became a 90-loss season, and in 2012 (48-37), when they again faded into a sub-.500 finish.
• Liriano has a 2.08 ERA across his last nine starts yet has picked up a victory in only four of them.
• Through Friday the Cardinals had won nine games in which they didn't muster more than six hits, another testament to their pitching. The Bucs were not far behind, with six wins under those circumstances.
• One of the Pirates' daily objectives is to work opposing pitchers into throwing more than 145 pitches, considering that a key to winning games. Of the first 18 games in which they've pushed opponents over that limit, they have won 15.
Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog Change for a Nickel. He can also be found on Twitter @Tom_Singer and on his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs."