Lineup, Notes

RHP Johnny Cueto of the Reds goes against RHP AJ Burnett tonight in the rubber match. Cueto has had a couple of rough starts recently as his off speed stuff hasn't been as nasty as usual, while Burnett for the most part has been hanging tough and keeping runs to a minimum.  He'll be challenged by a Cincy club that's been pounding the ball recently, J-Mick's Monday start being the exception. The match begins at 7:05 and will be shown on Root Sports.

The lineup: Jose Tabata LF, Jordy Mercer SS, Andrew McCutchen CF, Pedro Alvarez 3B, Neil Walker 2B, Garrett Jones RF, Matt Hague 1B, Rod Barajas C, AJ Burnett P.

Mercer gets his first MLB start tonight; Clint Barmes has been shut down temporarily to work on his swing. Josh Harrison is sitting for Garrett Jones, so they look like the next platoon. 

• Burnett has faced the Reds seven times in his career, the last outing coming in 2008 for the Blue Jays during interleague play.
• Matt Hague has a five game hitting streak.
• Brad Lincoln has retired the last 15 batters he's faced.
• The Reds won their 1,000th game against the Pirates yesterday. The Buc still lead the all-time series, 1,038-1,000.  What veteran fan can forget the days of the Big Red Machine rivalry in the early seventies, one of the best in baseball?
• Today marks Cincy's twentieth straight game without a day off. They'll get one tomorrow, as will the Pirates.
• Jim Callis of Baseball America has a quick hit on some the strategies available to teams in the draft under the new CBA, plus some old loopholes that are now slammed shut.
• Point Park was eliminated from the NAIA World Series yesterday; the Pioneers went 2-2 in the double elimination field. Congrats on a great year; Manager Loren Torres' club went 53-11 this season.
• This day in history: The Pirates set a MLB record in 1925 by hitting eight triples against the St. Louis Cardinals at cavernous Forbes Field. The Bucs went on to win the World Series that season.