Sanchez, who batted .344 to win the National League batting title in 2006, has been hindered by tendonitis in the rotator cuff of his right arm this year.
“It felt the best it’s felt in quite a while on Monday,” Sanchez said of the afflicted shoulder.
As of Tuesday, the Pirates were 7-6 and in fourth place in the National League Central Division.
Gregg Zaun (St. Francis High, 1989) Toronto Blue Jays catcher: While competing with fellow veteran backstop Rod Barajas for playing time, Zaun hasn’t made an overwhelming case for himself at the plate, batting .237 with three RBIs and three runs scored. He has made some unexpected contributions on the basepaths, however.
With 21 steals to his name over a 12-year Major League career prior to the 2008 campaign, and a career season-high of seven, Zaun has already swiped two bases this season.
The second — which matched his stolen-base total for the past three seasons combined — came on a steal of home on the back end of a double steal in the sixth inning of an 8-5 win over the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark at Arlington on Friday.
It was Zaun’s first-ever steal of home and it came within his only multi-hit game of the year, a two-for-five effort with one RBI and one run.
Zaun attempted to steal second base in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s 11-3 defeat of the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which moved Toronto to 8-6 on the season and into a tie with Baltimore for second place in the American League East Division. He was caught and thrown out for the first time this year, but finished the game one for three with an RBI double.
