Pnc Park

The Pittsburgh Pirates needed only 36 minutes Saturday to sell out their April 9 home opener against the Cincinnati Reds, the first regular-season game in PNC Park. They also sold out five other regular-season games, plus two exhibitions - a total of eight sellouts, more than they had in most seasons at Three Rivers Stadium. Also selling out were a June series against the Cleveland Indians and fireworks night promotions April 11 against Cincinnati and June 23 against Montreal.

7:05, PNC Park, Pittsburgh. TV: Comcast SportsNet. Radio: WPHT (1210-AM); WUBA (1480-AM) Spanish. Phillies LHP Cole Hamels (7-8, 4.78) vs. Pirates LHP Paul Maholm (7-6, 4.74) Phillies update: Hamels is making his first career start at PNC Park. He has faced the Pirates once, allowing five runs in six innings ... Hamels allowed four runs on 10 hits in his most recent outing, a 4-2 loss to the Mets ... Hamels has yet to record a victory in August ... Phillies pitchers have issued only five walks in their last 62 innings, including a 32-inning string with none that was their longest since 2005 ... The Phillies, who entered last night leading the NL with 176 home runs, got two solo shots from Jimmy Rollins.

PITTSBURGH - You have to see it to bereave it. And if you do, it will make you realize just how fortunate Phillies fans have been for the last decade. The comatose state of the baseball team from the western end of Pennsylvania is one of the saddest sports stories of the 21st century. The Pittsburgh Pirates, a franchise that employed Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, and Danny Murtaugh, has been an unwatchable mess for nearly two decades. The team that beat the New York Yankees in an unforgettable 1960 World Series and captured two more titles by beating the Baltimore Orioles in 1971 and 1979 has now gone a major-league record 19 straight seasons without posting a winning record.

Starting today, separate Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates scratch-off games are available from the Pennsylvania Lottery. They join already successful games for the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers, which began in August 2009. The Phillies and Pirates were last on tickets in 2008, but with that game, the teams alternated on a roll, so asking for two tickets would basically mean getting one of each, explained state lottery spokeswoman Kirstin Alvanitakis. A similar alternating game featuring the Flyers and Penguins is being phased out, she said.

President Barack Obama's motorcade passed in view of PNC Park in the eighth inning, and military helicopters buzzed over the ballpark all day. Obviously, something big was going on in Pittsburgh. It wasn't the Reds-Pirates game, where a deserted ballpark matched the nearly deserted downtown only a bridge-length away. Bronson Arroyo limited Pittsburgh to one run over seven innings and the Cincinnati Reds completed their second sweep of the plummeting Pirates in less than a month, winning, 4-1, yesterday to push the Pirates closer to a 100-loss season.

You don't think a ballpark can electrify a city and the people in it? Listen then to the gospel according to 37-year-old Bobby Dennis. "I am just so grateful for this," said Dennis, marveling at the Jewel of the Allegheny, PNC Park, the new home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. "I get so tired of people downing Pittsburgh. This is finally a hope for our city. " Listen then to the words of 68-year-old Don Miller. "Those light towers remind me so much of Forbes Field," Miller said, gazing up at them from the Roberto Clemente Bridge.

A disagreement between the Pittsburgh Pirates and a restaurant might keep old scoreboard numbers, seats and windows from Forbes Field out of the Pirates' new ballpark. The Pirates played at Forbes Field before their move in 1970 to Three Rivers Stadium. Three Rivers is soon to be demolished and the Pirates will move this season to the new PNC Park. The Pirates would like to display Forbes Field items at PNC Park when it opens, but the Pirates and the Allegheny Club restaurant disagree on who owns the memorabilia.

PITTSBURGH - When you win the way the Phillies have won the last five seasons, the little mistakes not only don't add up, they often go unnoticed. When you lose the way the Phillies lost Saturday and Sunday to the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, the little mistakes no longer are hidden. They are asked about, they are analyzed, and they are haunting. That's bound to happen more in 2012 than it did a year ago, because the big bats of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley are not here to serve as erasers.

PITTSBURGH - You have to see it to bereave it. And if you do, it will make you realize just how fortunate Phillies fans have been for the last decade. The comatose state of the baseball team from the western end of Pennsylvania is one of the saddest sports stories of the 21st century. The Pittsburgh Pirates, a franchise that employed Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, and Danny Murtaugh, has been an unwatchable mess for nearly two decades. The team that beat the New York Yankees in an unforgettable 1960 World Series and captured two more titles by beating the Baltimore Orioles in 1971 and 1979 has now gone a major-league record 19 straight seasons without posting a winning record.

As of Thursday, the Kansas City Royals had the youngest opening-day roster in Major League Baseball, with an average age of 27 years and 155 days, according to Stats L.L.C. The Houston Astros were the youngest in the National League, at 27 years and 301 days. Those baby 'Stros were closely followed by the Atlanta Braves: 28 years and 99 days. The oldest MLB roster? That would be those New York Yankees (31 and 222 days) - and that's not even counting Andy Pettitte, who will be 40 in June.

THE PHILLIES' lineup that was posted yesterday had a couple interesting twists, both involving rightfielder Domonic Brown. The order of importance is optional, depending on how closely one has been monitoring the online trade-rumors bazaar, where there is literally something for everybody. One was that he was batting second for just the fourth time this year. The other was that he was even still wearing a Phillies uniform, considering the late surge of gossip yesterday that suggested, contrary to previous speculation, that he was involved in the talks with the Houston Astros for outfielder Hunter Pence.

PITTSBURGH - Even before yesterday, Roy Halladay could see a difference in the Phillies since Chase Utley rejoined the team. Earlier in the year, the veteran pitcher had compared the second baseman to Yankees captain Derek Jeter, known nearly as much for his professionalism and intangibles as his batting average and on-base percentage. So it didn't take a 3-for-5 day or a tremendous diving play to cement Halladay's respect. "You know he's always going to run balls out, he'll be diving for balls, he's going to give you the best at-bat every time," Halladay said after he and Utley helped the Phillies snap a four-game losing streak with a 7-3 victory over the Pirates at PNC Park yesterday afternoon.

PITTSBURGH - If the Phillies could not beat the Pirates while Cole Hamels spun a one-hitter for eight innings, the odds were understandably longer Saturday. The Phillies' comatose offense creates a thin margin for error these days and it was magnified with Kyle Kendrick asked to make a spot start. So the final score, 6-3 in favor of the Pirates, came as no surprise. The Phillies have scored seven runs in their last four games - all losses - against starters named Jason Marquis, John Lannan, Jeff Karstens, and Charlie Morton.

7:05, PNC Park, Pittsburgh. TV: Comcast SportsNet. Radio: WPHT (1210-AM); WUBA (1480-AM) Spanish Pitching matchup: LHP Cole Hamels (7-2, 3.01) at RHP Jeff Karstens (3-4, 3.58) HAMELS VS. PIRATES: Hamels is pitching as well as he has in five-plus seasons in the majors. His 9.4 strikeout-per-nine rate would be his highest single-season total since he struck out 9.9-per-nine in his rookie year of 2006. His walk rate (1.8-per-nine) and home run rate (0.6-per-nine) would both be career lows.

A little help here, guys? Padres righthander Dustin Moseley has a 1.83 ERA, but he dropped to 0-3 on the season, despite pitching three-hit ball into the sixth and allowing just one run through 62/3 innings in a 1-0 loss to the Houston Astros on Thursday. San Diego's hitters (a term we use loosely) have scored zero runs so far this season with Moseley on the mound - a span of 192/3 innings.     Bucs cure ailing pitchers As of Thursday, Milwaukee's Randy Wolf was the lone Brewers starting pitcher without a win. Luckily for him, he was pitching against the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

Starting today, separate Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates scratch-off games are available from the Pennsylvania Lottery. They join already successful games for the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers, which began in August 2009. The Phillies and Pirates were last on tickets in 2008, but with that game, the teams alternated on a roll, so asking for two tickets would basically mean getting one of each, explained state lottery spokeswoman Kirstin Alvanitakis. A similar alternating game featuring the Flyers and Penguins is being phased out, she said.