--C Ryan Doumit had successful surgery performed on his right wrist Thursday as a screw was inserted into the broken scaphoid bone. Doumit will be reevaluated in a month and could begin rehabilitation at that point, though it is expected to be at least two months before he is ready to return to the major-league roster.
--CF Nate McLouth is nearly impossible to throw out on the bases, as he has been caught stealing by a catcher just once in his five-year career. That happened April 22, 2008, when he was thrown out by Florida's Matt Treanor. McLouth has stolen 23 bases in a row since then. BY THE NUMBERS: 2.62 -- The Pirates' team ERA, best in the major leagues, after back-to-back shutouts against Atlanta on Friday and Saturday. They were last in the National League with a 5.08 mark last season. The ERA rose to 3.34 after an 11-1 loss to the Braves on Sunday.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm not surprised. We were so bad last season that the law of averages said we had to get better." -- Pirates manager John Russell, on the improved ERA.
