Pirates Continue On the Road v Brew Crew; Lineup & Notes

We were worried about the rotation more than the hitting, but it was the sticks that were lacking in the sweep by the Reds. The Bucs barely hit above the Mendoza Line and struck out at a 28% rate with a 4:1 ratio of Ks to walks. Jay-Hay leads Bucco batters with 10 or more ABs with a .250 BA, so we can hope for a little better approach and much better results against the Brew Crew, whose staff has put up a 6.01 ERA in its three games. Time to get the show on the road, though, as Pittsburgh and the Brewers are both 0-3 and looking at wrong end of the NL Central's other horses.

Today's Game: Jeff Locke takes on Mike Fiers at Miller Field. Both have been effective against the other's squad, so it looks like another grinder on the menu. The game starts at 8:10 and will be on 93.7 The Fan; the Pirates won't be on local TV until Sunday thanks to the Pens.

Jeff Locke 2012 Topps series

The Lineup: Josh Harrison 3B, Gregory Polanco RF, Cutch CF, Neil Walker 2B, Starling Marte LF, Pedro 1B, Fran Cervelli C, Jordy Mercer SS, Locke P.

Same ol' - let's hope they're due tonight.

• Josh Harrison & Cutch the only Pirate starters with more hits than whiffs.  
• Ryan Braun, suffering from a rib-cage injury, was used as a pinch-hitter Wednesday and will be available again tonight.
• The Brewers won the 2014 season series against Pittsburgh with a 12-7 slate (6-3 at Miller Field) despite being outscored 81-66.
• Per ESPN Stats, the Reds are the first team to win each of first three games in their last at-bats since 1975 Reds. Baseball Reference adds that Billy Hamilton is the first player with six steals through three games since Vince Coleman in 1987, when he was the last player with 100+ SB. Quit piling on, stat dudes!
• Jose Contreras, who's last MLB gig was a quick five innings in 2013 with the Bucs, is still pitching  in the Mexican League at the age of 43.