Cole Train v Alex Wood - Scrambled Lineup & Notes

Today's Game - Gerrit Cole (8-2, 1.90) vs. Alex Wood (4-2, 3.19) match up on getaway day's rubber match. Gerrit has pretty much been in beast mode this year. He's had two starts, both last year, against the Bravos, and posted a 1-0/2.57 slash. Wood has recovered nicely from a slow April. The lefty is 0-1 vs the Bucs in three outings (two starts) with a 2.87 ERA. He's not a big strikeout guy and gives up a lot of flies, but only two balls have left the park against him this season in 62 IP. The game will be on Root Sports and 93.7 The Fan.

Today's Lineup - Josh Harrison 2B, Jordy Mercer SS, Cutch CF, Starling Marte LF, Jung-Ho Kang 3B, Jose Tabata RF, Sean Rodriguez 1B, Chris Stewart C, Cole P.

Partially get-away day, partially lefty pitcher shake-and-bake lineup. Josh moves to second, JT goes to right, Sean to first and Starling drops back to clean up.

Sean Rod gets the nod at first today (photo: Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

• With a victory this afternoon, Gerrit Cole would be the first Pittsburgh pitcher since Emil Yde in 1924-25 to win 30 games in his first 53 starts or fewer (Yde went 30-12 in his first 50 career starts). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last MLB starting pitcher to earn his 30th career win with 53 or fewer starts was Lance Lynn, who went 30-11 in his first 52 big league starts between 2011 and 2013.
• Another bit of Cole Train trivia - he's gone 16 straight starts with two or fewer walks issued.
• Starling Marte leads the club with 11 homers; he didn't hit 11 last year until September.
• Jared Hughes has been Mr. Consistent so far this season. He's been scored on once in his last nine outings and twice in his last 15 games. Jared has been charged with an earned run in five of his 29 appearances and stranded 11 of 13 inherited runners.
• Turning two: The Bucco defense leads the majors with 66 DPs. Second baseman Neil Walker ranks second among NL second basemen with 44 twin killings. Since the start of the 2011 season, Walker is far and away the NL leader in double plays turned by a second baseman with 403 (Brandon Phillips is second with 344).
• Nate Adcock, a righty in the Bucco system from 2009-10, was called up by the Reds. He's had cups of coffee with the Royals and Rangers.