July 6: Pirates (37-45) @ Astros (39-41); Sanchez remains out

So I go to meet a friend of mine, who now lives in Houston, for lunch earlier today and he greets me with: "You picked the right time to come to Houston. It's finally cooled down." Um, really? I found that a bit odd considering I just checked the temperature and found it to be 95 degrees. I guess it's all about perspective.

Speaking of perspective, this is the best press set-up in baseball -- and I'm not alone in that stance. Here's a photo taken from my seat in the press box. You'll notice how low we sit, as compared to the usual placement near the top of the stadium. Not to mention, any stadium that serves chips and salsa to the press is OK in my book.

So folks, the Pirates have Mike Hampton in tonight's series opener, and I'm not sure how well that bodes for the Bucs' chances. In Hampton's last nine starts against Pittsburgh, he's collected nine wins. He's 13-3 in 19 career starts against Pittsburgh and has a 2.25 ERA. This year has been no different for the 36-year-old lefty. He's made three starts against the Pirates already in '09 and has allowed a total of 12 hits and two runs in 20 innings. Ouch.

Breaking down the individual success is even more concerning. In their careers against Hampton... Robinzon Diaz (0-for-3), Jason Jaramillo (0-for-3), Andy LaRoche (0-for-5), Adam LaRoche (1-for-8), Andrew McCutchen (0-for-3), Brandon Moss (0-for-2), Freddy Sanchez (0-for-8), Ramon Vazquez (1-for-9), Jack Wilson (2-for-14) and Delwyn Young (2-for-3).

As for today's news, notes and randomness...

• Sanchez remains out of the lineup with back tightness. He said it continues to feel better, and there was a chance that he would take some swings in the cage later on Monday.
• Donnie Veal remains on track to rejoin the Pirates on Wednesday, as his 30-day maximum rehab stint with Triple-A Indianapolis will end then. Manager John Russell confirmed that the club has not made a decision on who to send down when Veal returns. Veal is expected to pitch in tonight's Triple-A game to give him one more outing before he comes back.   
• Russell said that if there was a situation where the Pirates lost another infielder or two with Sanchez already out, Diaz could step in and play in the infield. Diaz continues to take infield practice with infield coach Perry Hill. Delwyn Young would obviously be the first option, though.
• The Pirates took manadatory early batting practice this afternoon, with the whole team congregating on the field from 2:45-3:45. This is something the team tries to do at least once on every road trip.
• Rudy Owens, who continues to dominate for low-A West Virginia, was named the South Atlantic League pitcher of the week for last week. Owens went 2-0 and didn't allow a run in 11 innings (two starts). He struck out six. Owens is now 10-1 with a 1.79 ERA in 16 starts this season.
• Adam LaRoche is getting the day off on Monday, with Steve Pearce stepping in to play first. LaRoche is fine physically and will be back in the lineup on Tuesday. Maybe a day off will do him well, as the first baseman is 3-for-20 this month.
• Interesting fact on Freddy Sanchez's All-Star invite: He is the first Pirates infielder to be named to the All-Star team three times since second baseman Bill Mazeroski was named to seven All-Star Games (1958-60, 1962-64, 1967).
• Here's an odd one for you... Brian Bixler is hitting leadoff and playing center field for Triple-A Indy tonight. I can honestly say I didn't know Bixler ever played the outfield. How did Bixler respond? A lead-off homer. He hit a game-winning grand slam on Sunday.

Pirates lineup:

1. Andrew McCutchen (CF)
2. Jack Wilson (SS)
3. Delwyn Young (LF)
4. Garrett Jones (RF)
5. Andy LaRoche (3B)
6. Steve Pearce (1B)
7. Robinzon Diaz (C)
8. Ramon Vazquez (2B)
9. Virgil Vasquez (RHP)

Astros lineup:

1. Michael Bourn (CF)
2. Miguel Tejada (SS)
3. Lance Berkman (1B)
4. Carlos Lee (LF)
5. Geoff Blum (3B)
6. Hunter Pence (RF)
7. Kazuo Matsui (2B)
8. Humberto Quintero (C)
9. Mike Hampton (LHP)