First number, last word

1,421: Pirates' home games between hosting Sunday Night Baseball -- this Sunday's telecast will be their first since July 28, 1996, when the Bucs downed Philadelphia, 12-8, at Three Rivers Stadium in a game in which the plate umpire was Jerry Meals.

"He's been our best pinch-hitter, and I wanted to get him in a game, get him some at-bats to keep him sharp before the St. Louis series."
-- Hurdle, speaking of Travis Snider's start after Wednesday's game and before an MLB suspension tabled the lefty hitter for the first two games of the series.