Saturday: Chad Kuhl v David Phelps, Lineup, Notes

Tonight: The game begins at 7:05 and will be carried by Root Sports and 93.7 The Fan. The Frankie bobblehead giveaway was replaced by a Zambelli Fireworks night. Couldn't lose with either one IMHO.

Pitchers: Chad Kuhl (3-0, 3.73) faces David Phelps (6-6, 2.48). Chad has been more of a bulldog than a polished performer in his rookie campaign with a tendency to leave some of his pitches up, but ya sure can't complain about the results. The Bucs have won all six starts that he's made. In his last three outings, he's given up five runs on 12 hits in 18 IP for a 2.50 ERA, so he's settling in quite nicely. But something to watch - he's a much tougher road warrior than home boy, with a 6.00 ERA in three PNC starts. Phelps was yanked from the pen to the rotation and has done quite nicely, thank you. He's a fastball/cutter guy who pounds the strike zone and lives down & away to righties with a solid swing-and-miss rate. This will be his fourth straight start, and he's given up three runs in the 14-2/3 IP (1.86 ERA) with 17 K in the last three. Phelps isn't wild but he hasn't gone longer than 5-1/3 frames, so a little discipline is called for with him on the hill.

Chad Kuhl looks to keep the Bucs in the win column (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Josh 2B, Starling Marte LF, Cutch CF, Gregory Polanco RF, David Freese 3B, John Jaso 1B, Fran Cervelli C, Jordy SS, Kuhl P. JHK down, JJ up.

• As a footnote to Twitter's talent scouts: We don't think Felipe Rivero deserves abused for one bad outing, nor do we see him as another Aroldis Chapman. He has a nice toolkit for a 25-year-old, and Felipe's future development and pitching role are yet TBD. Right now, he reminds us a lot of Justin Wilson, and that ain't bad. So let's sit back and see what the kid grows into.
• Quick peek: Arquimedes Caminero is 1-1/3.00 for Seattle. In eight outings and nine IP,  he's given up 10 hits, whiffed seven and walked...what for it...nobody.