AJ v Joe Ross; Lineup & Notes

Today's Game - AJ Burnett (6-2, 1.89) takes the hill against Joe Ross (1-1, 3.46). AJ has won six of his last seven decisions, with his no-decision last outing when he tossed a nine inning shutout that the Bucs eventually won 1-0 in extras. He's seen the Nats plenty, going 12-5/3.19 ERA in 23 career appearances (22 starts). Burnett made six starts last year while pitching for Philadelphia, going 4-2 with a 3.57 ERA, and has been charged with two earned runs or fewer in 10 of his last 11 starts against Washington.

Ross was called up from AA Harrisburg on June 5th to replace Stephen Strasburg. He was part of the Wil Myers deal and a Top #100 prospect coming into the year. He has a fastball that sits 91-93 and touches 96, a plus low-to-mid-80s slider and an improving changeup. He's lost to the Cubs and beaten the Brewers as his MLB shakedown cruise has taken him in NL Central waters so far. The game starts at 7:05 and will be on Root Sports and 93.7 The Fan.

JHK cleanin' up at cleanup (photo - The Sporting News)

Today's Lineup - Josh Harrison 2B, Starling Marte RF, Cutch CF, Jung-Ho Kang 3B, Pedro 1B, Fran Cervelli C, Gregory Polanco RF, Jordy Mercer SS, AJ P.

The Kid is still out; hopefully his "stomach ailment" is just a 48-hour bug and nothing worse. Otherwise, same folk in the lineup although shifted around a bit.

• Josh has an eight game hitting streak going into tonight.
• Starling Marte has had six multi-hit games out of the last seven he's played.
• AJ ranks 38th in all-time MLB whiffs. Five more and he passes Andy Pettitte; 10 more and he zooms past Sudden Sam McDowell.
• Elias Says: For the first time in club history, the Bucs won for the sixth straight time when scoring three or fewer runs.
• Guess what - Elias found yet another Gerrit Cole factoid: He's the first Bucco pitcher since Steve Swetonic with at least 11 wins through his first 14 starts of a season, who did it in in 1932 (11-2, 2.50 ERA through 14 starts).
• Tyler Glasnow is slated to work three innings at Morgantown tonight as a rehab assignment after recovering from a gimpy ankle.
• RHP Collin Balester of Indy was traded to the Reds, who assigned him to AAA Louisville. He has five off-and-on years of MLB experience with the Tigers & Nats. He was replaced on the Tribe's roster by RHP Angel Sanchez, promoted from Altoona.
• MLB has cancelled 60M All-Star votes that they believe were cast in excess of the 35-vote limit per person.