Right off the bat … hats off to Kevin Correia. His reaction to his first removal from the rotation — “I’m a starter. I don’t want to see anyone get hurt here. So maybe I should be moved elsewhere.” — brought some fans down on him who perceived it as being selfish.

Some selfish. Here’s hoping he puts in a knockout five, six innings on the Padres tonight in San Diego — the day after making a great relief contribution to yesterday’s 19-inning win in St. Louis. Special seasons are built on such special episodes.

Speaking of San Diego … I ain’t there. Travel plans put in place long ago. This could be a problem. Those following me on Twitter are aware of a weird/disturbing trend I couldn’t help but finally share with Clint Hurdle late Sunday in St. Louis.

The Pirates had just won a 19-inning game in unimaginable fashion. They’d lost their last 19-inning game also in unimaginable fashion. I hadn’t been in Atlanta on July 26, 2011, but I was in St. Louis yesterday. So …

Me: “I’ll see you back in Pittsburgh. I’m skipping San Diego.”

Hurdle: “Okay, travel safe.”

“I need to tell you something I haven’t mentioned before because, well, it’s too weird.”

“What have you got?”

“You know you’ve got a pretty good record overall … but know what you are in games I’ve missed?”

“What?”

“10-20. Do the math for games I haven’t missed.”

“Is that right?”

“Like I said, weird. When I was a kid growing up in Pittsburgh … ”

“Yeah, I know the background … ”

“Wait — I was convinced the Bucs couldn’t win if I wasn’t in Forbes Field. But that was just a juvenile superstition. Eerie for that karma to pick up forty years later.”

“Well, you gotta get to San Diego.”

“Nah. Plans are firm.”

“Who do I have to call?”

“Just go to San Diego — and prove me wrong.”

To be continued.