Pre Game: Lineup & Notes

Today’s game marks the end of the first homestand of the season for the Pirates, the longest opening stretch of games since 1999; we usually go three and back on the road...

• Edinson Volquez takes the hill against Adam Wainwright. The rubber match of the series begins at 1:35 and will be on Root Sports and 93.7 The Fan. Volquez is 3-5 with a 5.56 ERA in 10 career starts v the Cards while Wainwright is 9-4/4.81 v the Bucs. But he was brutal against Pittsburgh in the playoffs, giving up two runs on 11 hits in 16 IP. Pitching matchups look a lot like last year's, when the Bucs faced an MLB-low 31 lefties; all the starters they've seen have been RHP.
• Today's lineup: Starling Marte LF, Jose Tabata RF, Cutch CF, Pedro 3B, Neil Walker 2B, Gaby Sanchez 1B, Tony Sanchez C, Clint Barnes SS and Volquez P. It's like a new order - JT and Gaby are set free, and Clint gets a start. It's the first time so far that Travis Snider, Travis Ishikawa and Jordy Mercer haven't opened.
• Gaby is batting .315 since last year's All-Star break.
• C Chris Stewart, who underwent right knee surgery on 3/19, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with High-A Bradenton today.
• Vin Mazzaro's fate will be determined shortly as his 10 day release window is up tomorrow. There's still no news on Jameson Taillon's elbow injury.
• The Ike Davis situation: the Mets are eager to move Davis, but they want a decent return. Despite their preference for Lucas Duda, the Mets have declined several trade proposals for Davis in recent months, including Baltimore’s offer of pitcher Zach Britton, per Andy Martino of the NY Daily News.
• The Miami corners are ex-Bucs: Casey McGehee is hitting .450 with 10 RBI while Garrett Jones is batting .227 with three ribbies.
  
• Lance Berkman, who the Bucs were checking out in the off season, signed a one-day contract and officially retired as a member of the Astros organization yesterday, along with Roy Oswalt.