First number, last word

8: Home runs by Pedro Alvarez, including Friday night's blow against the Angels, in his last 16 Interleague games -- after he'd been kept in the yard in the first 20.

"Every day is like a day in the bank for him. He can deposit some new experience." -- Hurdle on Mercer, who has spent a lot of time on the Pirates' roster the last two seasons but on Saturday was making only his 27th big league start at shortstop.