Friday: Bucs at Busch, Trevo v Luke Weaver, Lineup (Gregory, Fraze Back), Notes

Tonight: The series against the Cards begins at 8:15. The game will be carried on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Starling Marte CF, Max Moroff 2B, Gregory Polanco RF, Josh Bell 1B, David Freese 3B, Jordan Luplow LF, Elias Diaz C, Jordy Mercer SS, Trevor Williams P. Cutch gets a day off as Gregory returns to action, chasing J-Lup from right to left. The pasture suddenly got kinda crowded with Gregory and Fraze's return. Clint has a couple of ways to play that hand and it'll be interesting to see how the PT unfolds.

Trevo toes the slab (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Pitchers: Trevor Williams (6-7, 4.14) vs. Luke Weaver (4-1, 2.50). Though not usually associated with K's, Trevor's 100 strikeouts are the most by a Pirates rookie since Gerrit Cole's 100 in 2013; the last Pittsburgh rookie to top that was Paul Maholm with 117 in 2006. Trevo is 1-1/8.31 in five career appearances against the Redbirds. He's 0-1 in two starts this season with a no-decision in a 5-2/3-inning outing (two runs, one earned, nine hits) and was clobbered 11-10 (three IP, eight runs) on August 18th. Since that beatdown, Williams has been en fuego, surrendering just two runs in his last three starts (20 innings). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Trevo is one of just three MLB pitchers to have three games since the All-Star break in which he has pitched at least seven innings without allowing a run. The other two are Chris Sale (four times) and Zach Davies (three times). Weaver (4-1, 2.50 ERA) is gunning for his fifth consecutive win. He's fanned 29 batters in his past three starts (19-2/3 IP) as Adam Wainwright's replacement in the rotation. Weaver has faced Pittsburgh twice, once in 2017. This year he tossed briefly in relief, going two scoreless frames while giving up a hit and two walks with a whiff. Both the youngsters are on rolls, so it should be a good match tonight.

Notes:

• Gregory Polanco and Fraze are off the DL and back on the roster.
• Jordan Luplow has started the last six games in right field (he's starting this contest in left) and has gone 7-for-22 (.318) with two doubles, two homers and seven RBI going into tonight's match. The only red flag so far: nine K in 22 AB.
• Alex Stumpf of The Sporting News writes that J-Bell is the forgotten slugger among this year's rookie class.
• The series has been pretty even this year. The Cardinals are 7-6 against the Pirates (4-2 at Busch) this season and just a nose ahead in runs, 58-56.