Charlie v Bronson Arroyo, Lineup, Notes

Charlie Morton (7-4, 3.14) takes on Bronson Arroyo (14-11, 3.60). In his last two starts, Ground Chuck has given up one run on five hits over 15 innings, but didn't get a decision in either contest when the pen couldn't hold the leads he had left them.

Arroyo has been steady all this year, and he's well rested for this game. His last start was September 22nd against the Pirates. He won at PNC Park, though not in shutdown style, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks in five innings.

Tomorrow's contest starts at 1:05 and is the Fox game; 93.7 The Fan will air it on radio.

Pirate lineup: Starling Marte LF, Neil Walker 2b, Andrew McCutchen CF, Justin Morneau 1b, Marlon Byrd RF, Pedro Alvarez 3b, Russ Martin C, Clint Barmes SS and Charlie Morton P.

Clint Barmes is getting the lion's share of work; he and Russ Martin are the defensive heart of the infield, but are kinda brutal at the back end of the order.

Reds lineup: Shin-Soo Choo CF, Ryan Ludwick LF, Joey Votto 1b, Brandon Phillips 2b, Jay Bruce RF, Todd Frazier 3b, Zack Cozart SS, Ryan Hanigan C and Bronson Arroyo P.

Ludwick remains misplaced in the two hole, though the Reds don't have many candidates for the spot.

• More on Pedro: His 35 HR are the club's most since Jason Bay hit 35 in 2006, and his 99 RBI are most since Bay got 109 in 1996, per @BiertempfelTrib. He's one RBI away from 100; Jay Bay was the last Buc to reach that standard in 2006.
• Pittsburgh caught the Reds at a good time. Cincinnati has scored a total of six runs in their last four games.
• Last night the Pirates held an opponent to one run or fewer for the 40th time this season. It’s the first time the Pirates accomplished that since 1977.
• Clint Hurdle has won 243 games in his three years as Pirate manager, the most in that span by a Bucs skipper since Jimmy Leyland's 289 wins between 1990-92. That’s also the most victories by a Pirates manager in his first three full seasons since Chuck Tanner won 282 games from 1977-79.
• If the Pirates get one more win, they'll host a playoff game for the first time since October 11th, 1992, when they beat the Atlanta Braves 7-1 at TRS.
• It's like old days with Pittsburgh and Cincy as the wild card teams. The Bucs and Reds have faced each other five previous times (1970 NLCS, 1972 NLCS, 1975 NLCS, 1979 NLCS and 1990 NLCS) in postseason play. The 20 games vs. the Reds in the playoffs are the most against any opponent for the Pirates.
• The winner of the Pirate-Reds wild card game will meet the NL division winner with the best record, either St. Louis or Atlanta (they're tied going into today), on Thursday.