test/xml/gameinfo/mlbpreviewxml.xml

   1 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
   2 <!DOCTYPE message PUBLIC "-//TSN//DTD Preview 1.0/EN" "mlbpreviewxml.dtd">
   3 <message>
   4 <XML_File_ID>16451229</XML_File_ID>
   5 <heading>AAV!PREVIEW-STL-PIT</heading>
   6 <game_id>34056</game_id>
   7 <schedule_id>34056</schedule_id>
   8 <category>Previews</category>
   9 <sport>MLB</sport>
  10 <title>
  11 St. Louis Cardinals (71-57) at Pittsburgh Pirates (68-60), 7:05 p.m. (ET)
  12 </title>
  13 <Game_Date>08/28/2012</Game_Date>
  14 <Game_Time>07:05 PM</Game_Time>
  15 <vteam id="012">St. Louis</vteam>
  16 <hteam id="009">Pittsburgh</hteam>
  17 <visitorprob record="13-9" ERA="3.67">St. Louis  - Jake Westbrook</visitorprob>
  18 <homeprob record="11-6" ERA="3.73">Pittsburgh - James McDonald</homeprob>
  19 <body>
  20
  21 <P>
  22  (Sports Network) - Pittsburgh Pirates starter James McDonald followed up one
  23  his better starts this year -- a win over the St. Louis Cardinals -- with a
  24  forgettable beginning to his most recent outing.
  25
  26 </P>
  27 <P>
  28  McDonald tries to get off on a better foot on Tuesday evening and get the
  29  Pirates back on track as they to avoid falling further behind the Cardinals in
  30  the standings.
  31
  32 </P>
  33 <P>
  34  The right-handed McDonald gets the call for the second contest of this three-
  35  game set between NL Central rivals having beaten the Cardinals back on Aug.
  36  17. However, it is the only win for the Pirates hurler in his last six starts.
  37
  38 </P>
  39 <P>
  40  McDonald logged six scoreless innings in the win over St. Louis, scattering
  41  two hits and walking three with seven strikeouts to claim a 2-1 decision.
  42  After reliever Chris Resop allowed a run and two hits in two-thirds of an
  43  inning, Juan Cruz, Jason Grilli and Joel Hanrahan combined to toss 2 1/3
  44  hitless innings.
  45
  46 </P>
  47 <P>
  48  The 27-year-old struggled in his last outing on Wednesday against the San
  49  Diego Padres, giving up four runs on five hits and five walks with only two
  50  strikeouts in five innings. Three of the runs McDonald allowed came in the
  51  first, when he walked the bases loaded.
  52
  53 </P>
  54 <P>
  55  "I felt like I was getting better as the game went on," said McDonald. "I was
  56  able to get my breaking ball down, my fastball was going where I wanted it to.
  57  Just a rough beginning but I felt like I ended strong."
  58
  59 </P>
  60 <P>
  61  McDonald is still a solid 11-6 with a 3.73 earned run average in 25 games this
  62  season and 3-1 with a 2.76 ERA in nine career meetings with the Cardinals,
  63  including five starts.
  64
  65 </P>
  66 <P>
  67  St. Louis starter Jake Westbrook took a tough-luck loss when he squared off
  68  against McDonald, then saw his offense bail him out in a victory last week.
  69
  70 </P>
  71 <P>
  72  Against the Pirates, Westbrook had a five-start winning streak end even though
  73  he gave up just two runs -- one earned -- over 7 2/3 frames.
  74
  75 </P>
  76 <P>
  77  The righty quickly returned to the win column on Thursday against the Houston
  78  Astros despite yielding five runs over five innings. He got plenty of support
  79  in a 13-5 win.
  80
  81 </P>
  82 <P>
  83  Westbrook, 34, improved to 13-9 with a 3.67 ERA in 25 starts this season, but
  84  sits at just 1-6 lifetime versus the Pirates in 12 meetings (8 starts).
  85
  86 </P>
  87 <P>
  88  The Cardinals took the opener of the set on Monday by a 4-3 margin, with Matt
  89  Holliday hitting a go-ahead solo homer in the sixth inning.
  90
  91 </P>
  92 <P>
  93  "I like opposite-field home runs. It means my swing is in a good spot,"
  94  Holliday said after driving in his NL high-tying 90th run of the season.
  95
  96 </P>
  97 <P>
  98  The Cardinals have now won six of seven since losing a 19-inning game to the
  99  Pirates on Aug. 19. That has them six games behind the Cincinnati Reds for
 100  first place in the NL Central and 2 1/2 games up on the Los Angeles Dodgers
 101  for the league's second wild card position.
 102
 103 </P>
 104 <P>
 105  The Pirates, meanwhile, have lost six of seven since their marathon win and
 106  are three games back of the Cardinals.
 107
 108 </P>
 109 <P>
 110  A.J. Burnett suffered Monday's loss after allowing four runs -- three earned
 111  -- on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.
 112
 113 </P>
 114 <P>
 115  "I wasn't able to have shutdown innings," Burnett said.
 116
 117 </P>
 118 <P>
 119  Andrew McCutchen drove in a run for the Pirates, who were without second
 120  baseman Neil Walker after he was a late scratch due to lower back tightness.
 121
 122 </P>
 123 <P>
 124  The Cardinals, meanwhile, could have third baseman David Freese back in the
 125  lineup tonight for the first time since he hurt his left wrist on Friday.
 126
 127 </P>
 128 <P>
 129  The Pirates and Cardinals split 12 meetings this season prior to this series.
 130
 131 </P>
 132
 133 </body>
 134 <time_stamp> August 28, 2012, at 10:41 AM ET </time_stamp>
 135 </message>