Monday: Rox Visit, JT v Kyle Freeland, Lineup, Notes

Tonight: The game starts at 7:05 at PNC Park and will be carried on Root Sports and 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Max Moroff 2B, Josh Harrison LF, Gregory Polanco RF, David Freese 3B, Jose Osuna 1B, Cutch CF, Elias Diaz C, Jordy Mercer SS & Jameson Taillon P. So Clint cobbles together a Sunday lineup on Monday, with Fraze and J-Bell on the pine against a lefty.

He's back... (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Pitchers: Jameson Taillon (2-1, 3.31) is back and opening against LHP Kyle Freeland (7-3, 3.34). From a cancer diagnosis to the bump in five weeks is just amazing. We'll see how much rust Jamo has to knock off; he has two good and one not-so-hot rehab starts under his belt, although he is stretched out pitch-wise. His last start with the Pirates was on May 3rd at Cincinnati, and JT has never tossed against the Rockies. Freeland's having a super rookie season, though it would be tough to tell by his peripherals - six K, four BB, 1.343 WHIP per game - but he keeps cranking out wins. In his last six games, the 24-year-old first round pick of 2014 has come back to earth a bit with a 4.00 ERA and six homers served up in 36 IP, tho his last two outings have been solid again. Kyle's a sinker-slider-change guy with a 58% ground ball rate, which shows how effective his bread-and-butter two-seamer is. He's never faced Pittsburgh.

Jose at first tonight (photo Reinholt Matay USA Sports)

Notes:

• Goose was optioned back to Indy to clear 25-man space for JT; the Bucs have one extra bullpen arm and are one man short on the bench as a result.
• Pittsburgh is 35-22 all-time against Colorado at PNC Park, including wins in nine of the last 11 games. But the Rox are playing great ball. They're leading the NL West (41-23, the NL's best record), on an 8-2 run, and are smokin' at 24-11 as road warriors. Their closer, Greg Holland, is perfect in saves and they lead the NL in runs scored. So tough series coming up.
• Looking for an All-Star to vote for in Pittsburgh? Josh Harrison leads all NL 2B'men with 2.1 WAR.
• The ol' skipper has a history with both clubs. Clint won 534 games while managing the Rockies from 2002-2009 and has claimed 537 wins since taking over as Pittsburgh’s manager in 2011.

Clint has led both clubs to 500+ wins (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

• Tyler Glasnow will back in the swing of things Wednesday, when he's scheduled to start for Indy.
• Altoona's Kevin Kramer was placed on the DL with a broken hand. The prognosis a 4-to-6 week time frame for recovery w/no surgery needed. The 2B prospect was hitting .297 for the Curve. Indy OF'er Barrett Barnes seems eternally injured; he pulled up lame with an apparent hammy tweak.
• Pittsburgh, btw, is now one of two US cities (Boston/New England is the other) with three teams that have five or more championships. The trophy years: the Pirates (1909, 1925, 1960, 1971, 1979), the Steelers (1974-75, 1978-1979, 2005, 2008) and the Penguins (1991-92, 2009, 2016-17)
• The draft is tonight; it begins at 7 on MLB Network. Here's the TV/draft round schedule and cheat sheet. The Pirates have the 12th selection in the draft and a total of four picks in the first three rounds. MLB.com's mock draft results w/Bucco possibilities is here.
• Root Sports is on the way out. It will be rebranded as AT&T SportsNet next month.