CINCINNATI -- Freddy Sanchez can see the question coming from a mile away and, quite frankly, he's sick of having to answer it.

No, it's not the inquiries about Sanchez's chase for the batting title that bother him. He's used to dealing with those on a daily basis.

What really gets under Sanchez's skin is the question of his durability.

Unfairly, perhaps, Sanchez has been tagged as a guy who might wear down as the season progresses. It's an issue that, in no small part, led the Pirates to sign Joe Randa in the offseason and forced Sanchez to hit his way off of the Bucs' bench.

With Sanchez mired in a 1-for-13 slump that has dropped his September batting average to .234, is he starting to wear down?

"Wearing down? Come on. Of course I am not," Sanchez said. "I am putting the ball in play. The balls just aren't falling. This is baseball, and people go through ruts. It just so happens that mine is right now. It has nothing to do with wearing down.

"Last year, I ended the season on a 17-game hitting streak. I had 400 at-bats. I finished up strong last year. It's a long season, and baseball is going to average out."

Pirates manager Jim Tracy, who was once among those who thought that Sanchez was best suited for a utility role, is no longer worried at all about his All-Star infielder's durability.

"He's made a believer out of me," said Tracy. "I think you can make the path even easier for him if you can get him settled into on particular spot."

Sanchez dismissed the notion that having to play shortstop for two weeks while Jack Wilson was sidelined with an inner ear infection took a toll on him.

"I played shortstop every day my whole career in the Minors. It wasn't like I needed days off," said Sanchez. "I've had some not-good approaches at the plate. That has more to do with it than breaking down. I just haven't had good at-bats."

As for the batting crown chase, Sanchez, who is batting .340, insists he's not concerned that Florida's Miguel Cabrera is creeping up behind him with a .336 average.

"He's absolutely on fire right now. Matt Holliday is on fire. And you obviously have Albert Pujols up there, too," said Sanchez. "I try not to think about it. But at the same time, it's there. Everyone is talking about it, and I don't want to shy away from it.

"The main thing for me is not winning the batting title. That's not my goal. I don't want to be disappointed if I don't. I just want to have a good season and finish strong."

Ross making most of his opportunity: During David Ross' relatively brief tenure with the Pirates in 2005, he was viewed as a solid defensive catcher who could provide a team with occasional pop at the plate.

Oh, how times have changed.

In a Cinderella story that rivals Sanchez's sudden ascension into stardom, Ross has become an offensive force with the Reds this season. In just 208 at-bats with the Reds, Ross has clubbed 18 home runs, many of them in clutch situations. This from a guy who'd hit a total of 19 long balls in his four previous seasons with the Bucs, Padres and Dodgers.

How has Ross, 29, suddenly become one of the top slugging catchers in the big leagues?

"I really don't know," said Reds manager Jerry Narron. "It's very unusual to have a guy who is 28, 29 years old put up those kinds of numbers."

According to Ross, who had never played regularly before in the big leagues, the combination of opportunity and confidence has been the biggest key in his breakout season.

"When you get the opportunity to play and you do some good things, you gain confidence," said Ross. "I think it is a lot of failure and a lot of hard work paying off. I was able to figure out what I had been doing wrong."

Ross said that his 40-game stint with the Pirates in 2005 was typical of the way his career had gone before this season.

"I got off to a real good start. I think I caught eight or nine games in a row," Ross said. "Then I went something like 0-for-21 and didn't play anymore.

"You have to have some room for failure. Everybody is going to go through some slumps in this game. If you get thrown on the bench as soon as you fail, it ruins your confidence. For someone to keep putting me in there, as Jerry has, has really helped me out with my confidence a lot. I think that is something that has paid off over time."

Ross harbors no ill will toward the Bucs, who traded him to the Padres last July for Minor League shortstop J.J. Furmaniak.

"It is what it is. I am at a good place now," Ross said. "Things worked out for me. That's all that matters."

Curve stay alive again: Double-A Altoona staved off elimination for the second straight night on Saturday with a 3-1 win in their Eastern League playoff game against Akron.

Curve starting pitcher Wardell Starling limited Akron to one run on three hits in 6 1/3 innings for the win. Left fielder Brett Roneberg went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and first baseman Simon Pond knocked in a pair of runs for Altoona.

The Curve and Aeros will square off in the fifth and deciding game of the series Sunday night in Akron.

On deck: The Pirates will kick off a six-game homestand on Monday night at PNC Park with the first of a three-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers. Bucs southpaw Zach Duke (8-13, 4.78) will take the hill against Brewers lefty Doug Davis (10-9, 4.92).