Sunday, August 6, 2017

Sunday: SD Rubber Match, Jamo v Clayton Richard, Lineup, Notes

Today: The set closes today with first pitch at 1:35. The game will be on AT&T SportsNet and 93.7 The Fan. Junior's Sunday swag is a kids backpack for the first 14,000 members of the 14-and-under crowd. Don't let the clouds keep you home; it's supposed to be gray but dry until later tonight.

Lineup: Starling Marte LF, Josh Harrison 2B, Cutch CF, David Freese 3B, Jose Osuna 1B, Gregory Polanco RF, Jordy Mercer SS, Stew C & Jamo P. Joey O has been a lefty-crusher; good spot to give J-Bell a blow while Cervy gets the usual day-after-night game sit. Looks like a pretty solid Sunday lineup.

Joey O gets the Sunday start (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Pitchers: Jameson Taillon (6-5, 4.74) takes on Clayton Richard (5-12, 5.40). Jamo has been beaten down in his last two outings surrendering 18 runs (17 earned) and 20 hits in 6-2/3 IP. The Pirates are trotting him back out so there's no obvious physical malady; we're hoping he's just hit a spell of dead-arm after his layoff. JT met the Padres once last August. He gave up three hits and two walks with four K's in eight innings, leading the way to a 4-0 victory at PNC Park. Richard has been bad. He's given up four+ runs in six of his last seven outings, sending his ERA from 4.20 to 5.40. He gone 39 IP over that span, giving up 37 runs (36 earned) on 67 hits. The Bucs beat him 7-1 last week; he gave up four runs in six frames. So you have two guys looking for a bounce back today.

Notes:
  • Lovin' lefties: Cutch has gone 5-for-10 with four home runs and three walks in his last 13 plate appearances and slashes .325/.451/.783 against southpaws this year. Jordy Mercer has 11 hits in his last 24 at bats against lefties, Adam Frazier has a .366 BA and David Freese is hitting .319 this season with a line of .329/.429/.522 vs. LHP in his two Bucco campaigns.
  • S-Rod will wear uniform #3 and third base coach Joey Cora will switch to #15. George Kontos is expected to join the Pirates on Monday and will wear uniform #70; that's his old Giants number. S-Rod was running behind getting to the Park but is expected to be available off the bench today.
  • The Pirates close out their PNC stop against the Tigers Monday & Tuesday, opening a home-and-home series. 

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