Hottest team in Major League Baseball? 

ThePirates will not know until today how much time, if any, catcher Ryan Doumit will have to miss to a right wrist injury. 

So wait, thePirates slip below . 

If the truest measure of a contender is its starting pitching, then thePirates likely find themselves a long ways off. 

All the Pittsburgh Pirates talked about the last couple of seasons was how good their mostly young starting pitching was going to be. 

Switch-hitting Delwyn Young, acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade for either two minor-leaguers to be named or cash considerations, isn't likely to get many starts -- the Pirates are set in the outfield with Nyjer Morgan, Nate McLouth and Bran 

The Pirates are holding their breath on the status of catcher Ryan Doumit after he missed Monday night's 8-0 win over the Florida Marlins with a sore right wrist. 

--CF Nate McLouth continues to show great pop for a guy charitably listed at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds. 

Switch-hitting Delwyn Young, acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade for either two minor-leaguers to be named or cash considerations, isn't likely to get many starts -- the Pirates are set in the outfield with Nyjer Morgan, Nate McLouth and Bran 

The Pirates' team ERA is 3. 

--3B Andy LaRoche has opened up his batting stance to enable him to see pitches longer and pull inside pitches. 

There is the Zach Duke that everyone in Major League Baseball remembers from his phenomenal 2005 rookie uprising. 

Today on 

Up next for thePirates is an opponent with a payroll $15 million smaller than theirs, but with a record that is the envy of Major League Baseball. 

Pittsburgh ---Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton turned to desperate measures late Sunday morning, threatening to shave the heads of right fielder Jeff Francoeur and pitcher Jair Jurrjens if theBraves got shut out again by the Pittsburgh Pirates.