(Sports Network) - Edwin Jackson returns from his suspension this evening when the Tampa Bay Rays resume their three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
Jackson sat out the Rays' last five games for his part in the brawl with the Boston Red Sox back on June 5. He last pitched last Saturday against the Houston Astros and received a no-decision after allowing two runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings of his team's 4-3 win.
The 24-year-old right-hander, who is 4-6 with a 4.35 earned run average this season, defeated the Pirates in his only other start against them back in 2005 while with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Tampa Bay picked up its fourth straight win in the opener of this set on Friday, as Evan Longoria and Eric Hinske each hit three-run homers off Jimmy Barthmaier in his major league debut, guiding the Rays to a 10-5 win.
Longoria has at least three hits and a homer in each of his last three games and is 12-for-24 with four home runs and 11 RBI in his last five contests.
Carl Crawford added three hits, including a solo home run, for the Rays, who have rattled off eight wins in their last 10 games and are a franchise-best 17 games over .500 (48-31).
Scott Kazmir (7-3) earned the win despite giving up four runs -- three earned -- on five hits in five frames. He had four strikeouts.
Freddy Sanchez clubbed a solo home run, while Jack Wilson had two hits and three RBI for the Pirates, who have dropped two in a row and six of nine.
Barthmaier (0-1), who spent five years in the Houston organization before being claimed off waivers by Pittsburgh in the offseason, was roughed up for seven runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings.
Heading to the hill for the Pirates tonight will be right-hander Ty Taubenheim, who will be making his Pittsburgh debut. Taubenheim, though, is 0-5 with a 5.55 ERA in eight career starts.
Pittsburgh won two of three games at home versus Tampa Bay from June 10-12 of the 2005 campaign and is 4-3 in its seven meetings with the Rays. The Pirates are 4-8 in interleague play this season, while the Rays own an 11-5 record.
The Pirates also sport a 61-102 mark against the AL, compared to Tampa's 85-109 ledger versus the National League.
Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Jay Bruce hit a grand slam and Joey Votto added a two-run homer, as the Cincinnati Reds pounded the Chicago C... Full Story...
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