7:05 PM, FSNP, WPGB
Russ Ortiz (0-1, 5.40) vs. Zach Duke (1-0, 3.46).
It's Friday the 13th. I just saw Grindhouse last night, but tonight I'm ready to see something really ghastly - Russ Ortiz! Against Pirates hitters! It's a matchup along the lines of Freddy vs. Jason - pathetic and hard to watch, and with a storyline focused on the lurking presence of a hulkish, aging villain who began life with a normal appearance but became especially freakish-looking later on. This could be Barry Bonds' last series in Pittsburgh, although I doubt that - like Jason, Bonds can always be resurrected for a sequel.
A puzzle to solve while you wait: If Pirates hitters can turn Randy Keisler into Randy Johnson and Braden Looper into Bob Gibson, then who can they turn Russ Ortiz into?
While you wait for the game to start, today's McCovey Chronicles game thread has some nice thoughts about the Pirates.
Here's the box. Adam LaRoche is back in the cleanup spot for the Bucs. For the Giants, Todd Linden starts in center and bats second. As I sometimes do, I'll leave some thoughts in the comments as the game progresses.