Sunday: Bucs-Cubs, Jamo v Jon Lester, Lineup, Notes

Today: The last game before the AS break begins at 1:10 and will be shown on FOX Sunday and aired by 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Josh Harrison LF, Fran Cervelli 2B, Cutch CF, David Freese 3B, Josh Bell 1B, Jose Osuna RF, Jordy Mercer SS,Max Mofoff 2B & Jameson Taillon P. Lefty lineup day.

Jamo rimgs out the first half of the year (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Pitchers: Jameson Taillon (5-2, 2.73) closes out the first half of the campaign against Jon Lester (5-5, 3.94). Jamo is working on a career-best 15-1/3 scoreless innings streak. The 25-year-old righthander is 3-1/1.98 ERA in five starts since returning to action in June. He's been hot and cold against the Cubs this year. JT took a 7-1 loss in June at PNC Park (five IP/four ER) and won a 6-1 decision in April at Wrigley Field (seven IP/one run, unearned). Lester had a pretty good run in June, but was banged around by the Rays in his last outing. He faced the Bucs twice in April and like Jamo ran hot and cold. Jon gave up three hits and no runs in seven IP at PNC Park in a no-decision, then got slapped around at Wrigley, giving up 10 hits and six runs (five earned) in 5-2/3 frames in a loss.

Notes:

• Gregory has an eight-game hitting streak.
• The Bucs are 4-2 since the San Francisco implosion. They're 41-47, seven games back; last year at this point they were 46-42, 6-1/2 games off the pace.
• Clint announced the rotation coming out of the All-Star break: Gerrit Cole, Chad Kuhl, Trevor Williams, Jamo & Ivan Nova. It's a nine-day rest for Nova, who's been working deep into games and piling up innings while pushing through an achy knee.
• Mellow fellow: Clint has been tossed twice this year; both times by the same crew on back-to-back May games with Atlanta. Actually, he's not far off last year's pace when he was given the heave-ho six times.
• Good news: S-Rod, who was badly hurt in a pre-season car wreck and supposed to miss the season, is rehabbing in the minors.