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Here are some tibdits from the Pirates’ post-game interviews following the 3-0 victory over the Braves: • The season is only two weeks old, but the Pirates’ team-ERA is now 2.90, the best in the major leagues as of 11 p.m. Friday night. • Paul Maholm said his foot slipped during his ugly balk while [...]

Paul Maholm pitched seven shutout innings and the Pirates held off the Braves, 3-0, on Friday night at PNC Park. Maholm (2-0) struck out two and walked three, lowering his ERA to 0.87. Matt Capps pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save. Jair Jurrjens (2-1), one of the top young right-handers in the NL, [...]

Shortstop Jack Wilson is a late scratch for tonight’s game with the Atlanta Braves. Ramon Vazquez will start and bat eighth. Wilson also was a late scratch on Wednesday with a bruised left middle finger. by John Grupp

• The Pirates have traded Triple-A infielder Andy Phillips, 32, to the Chicago White Sox for right-handed pitching prospect Michael Dubee. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Dubee, 23, the son of Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee, will report to Class A Lynchburg. He went 5-7 with a 4.37 ERA last season for high Single-A Winston-Salem last season. [...]

The results — four innings, three runs allowed and a no-decision — were not what Jeff Karstens hoped for today. But the righty did find some positives to take away from his performance in the Pirates’ 6-3 loss to the Astros. “I had some success early,” Karstens said. “Just one bad pitch to (Hunter) Pence. [...]

Ryan Doumit gets his first day off this afternoon. His absence dramatically changes the complexion of the Pirates’ lineup. “Somebody should step up and carry the load,” manager John Russell said. “It’s the same when we give Adam (LaRoche) or Nate (McLouth) a day off. Somebody has to step up.” Perhaps that somebody will be [...]

Jack Wilson has been scratched from tonight’s lineup due to a bruised left middle finger. He may have injured the finger during pre-game batting practice, which was held in the indoor cages. Wilson is expected to be back in the lineup tomorrow. Ramon Vazquez will start at shortstop tonight against the Astros. • Jay Jaffe [...]

The addition of switch-hitting outfielder Delwyn Young means the Pirates will have to make two sorts of roster moves. The first was revealed this afternoon, as pitcher Dave Davidson was dropped from the 40-man roster. Because Young is out of minor league options, he must be added to the 25-man active roster. That will be [...]

Paul Maholm sees some subtle but important changes this year in fellow lefty Zach Duke. “Just the confidence, the making-the-pitches,” Maholm said. “If he’s missing, he’s missing off the plate. He’s not leaving pitches over the middle. He’s mixing speeds. His sinker’s moving a bunch, and that’s huge.” Duke seems to trust his sinker more [...]

Too often, the Pirates have turned in some real clunkers when the stands at PNC Park were full. Today’s home opener, a 7-0 spanking of the Astros in front of a sellout crowd of 38,411, was a refreshing change. The Pirates mashed 14 hits, including homers by Ryan Doumit and Adam LaRoche, which brought the [...]