Astros Lineup, Notes

RHP A.J. Burnett (11-3, 3.59 ERA) will match up against the Astro's LHP Dallas Keuchel (1-2, 4.03 ERA). Houston has lost nine in a row, frittering away ninth inning leads two straight nights as new closer Francisco Cordero blew back-to-back save opportunities against the Reds. Pittsburgh just lost 2-of-3 to the Cubs, so it's pretty important for them to ignore their clippings and play ball. The game will be shown on Root Sports at 8:05 and is tonight's free mlb.tv game.

The lineup: Starling Marte LF, Neil Walker 2B, Andrew McCutchen CF, Garrett Jones RF, Casey McGehee 1B, Pedro Alvarez 3B, Rod Barajas C, Clint Barmes SS, AJ Burnett P.

Yep, it's officially the start of the Starling Marte era.

• For scorecard fans: Wandy Rodriquez will wear #51 and Starling Marte will wear #6.
• Tyler Kepner of the New York Times loves him a little Cutch and Bucco baseball.
• The Cubs drew 94,018 people, a record for a three-game weekday series at PNC Park
• Kevin Correia is the first Pirate pitcher to win 5 consecutive starts after a streak of 5 straight losing starts since The Deacon, Vern Law, did it in 1965 sez Elias Sports Bureau.
• If you're wondering if the Reds ever lose; it doesn't really seem so. Cincinnati has won 14-of-16 games, 11 of 13 since the All-Star break, and seven in a row. Good thing for the rest of the division that Votto is out, hey?
• Today is the one year anniversary of the Jerry Meals game in Atlanta, heralding the end of the Bucco's 2011 run.
• Tim Williams of Pirates Prospects tells us not to sleep on State College's RHP "Clay Holmes has gone five innings without giving up an earned run in six of his seven starts this year. In his previous three starts he gave up just one hit each. Tonight he gave up three hits. On the season he has an 0.80 ERA in 33.2 innings and just 16 hits allowed." The Pirates drafted high schooler Holmes in the ninth round of the 2011 draft, signing him for $1.2M bonus.