Freddy & Co.

The Pirates headed North in Chicago to take on the Cubs for the start of a second 3 game series in the Windy City. The series started in pleasing fashion with a 10-8 victory. 12 pitchers were used, 7 by the Pirates, in an offense heavy game that produced 28 hits and 18 runs.

Maholm went 4 innings, threw 94 pitches and gave up 7 earned runs on 7 hits.
Tom Gorzelanny got credit for the win when he pitched a scoreless 6th after the Pirates took a 9-7 lead.
Evan Meek, Jesse Chavez, John Grabow, and Matt Capps all got credit for holds, pitching a combined shutout 2 1/3 innings.
Capps left in the bottom of the 9th when Geovany Soto lined one back to the mound, hitting Capps directly in his right elbow.
Sean Burnett came to the rescue and got the final 2 outs of the game, earning his first career save.

The offense produced a season high 18 hits, atleast 1 by each position player, and one-third by Freddy Sanchez (who was a triple shy of the cycle).

Andy LaRoche and Jason Jaramillo were both 3-5.
Freddy Sanchez and Nate McLouth both went deep, hitting their 4th and 8th homers of the season respectively.
6 Pirates had atleast 1 RBI.

Game Stats/Notes

• Freddy Sanchez: 6-6, 2B, HR, 4 runs scored, 3 RBIs.
• Freddy became the first Pirate to have a 5 hit game since Brian Giles in 2000, and the first Pirate to have 6 hits in one game since Wally Backman in 1990. He is the 2nd player this season to have 6 hits in a game. Before tonight, Sanchez's career high for hits in a game was 4.
• Coming into Chicago, Freddy was 5 for his last 36. He is 9 for his last 13 and raised his average back up to .320.
  
• Andy LaRoche: 3-5, 2B, 10 game hit streak, knocked in his 21st RBI of the season.
• Matt Capps was immediately taken to a nearby hospital for X-Rays, when examination at the stadium was inconclusive about structural damgae. Results are awaited.