Thursday: Pirates-Cubs Wrap Up, Jamo v Jon Lester, Lineup (Kontos Back), Notes

Tonight: The last round of the Chicago Cub bout begins at 7:05 and will be carried by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Starling Marte LF, Max Moroff 2B, Cutch CF, Josh Bell 1B, Jordan Luplow RF, Sean Rodriguez 3B, Elias Diaz C, Jordy Mercer SS, Jameson Taillon P. Eli is back behind the dish and Freeser gets a blow.

Jamo claims the hill tonight (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Pitchers: Jameson Taillon (7-5, 4.50) looks for the series winner tonight as he bumps heads with Jon Lester (9-7, 4.46). Even with missing a month, JT has established personal MLB season highs in starts (21) and innings pitched (112 - he tossed 165, his single-season high, in 2016 between the Pirates w/104 IP and Indy w/64 IP). Jamo had been in a Ivan-esque slump but looked good in his last outing. He spun six scoreless innings and gave up just three hits though he got a no-decision in Pittsburgh’s 5-0 win over the Reds Saturday night. JT is 2-2 /3.68 in four lifetime starts against the Second City club. This year, Jamo won a 6-1 decision in April and suffered a 7-1 loss (five frames, four runs) in June at PNC Park. Lester is coming off a five-inning start against the Bravos, his first since coming off the DL with a tight shoulder. He hasn't been very strong since July, going 1-1/7.71 in five August/September outings. Jon has started three games against the Bucs this year and the Cubbies have lost them all by 6-1, 6-5 and 17-3 counts with Lester giving up 16 runs (nine earned) in 13-1/3 IP. Hopefully, the good times will roll one more time tonight.

Notes:

• George Kontos has been activated from the DL.
• J-Bell has 24 homers, giving him the NL record for most home runs by a rookie switch-hitter. The MLB record for most home runs by a switch-hitting rookie is 27, held by Eddie Murray (Baltimore in 1977) and Tony Clark (Detroit in 1996). Not only is he closing in on them in the year of the juiced ball, but he's nearing Jason Bay's 26-dinger franchise HR mark for rooks.
• Hi ho, hi ho...the Pirates embark on a 10-day, nine-game NL Central road trip to St. Louis, Milwaukee and Cincinnati, playing three games in each city with a day off next Thursday in Cincinnati. The Bucs have gone 28-40 away from the Allegheny this season, having dropped three straight games and going 2-8 in their last 10 tour stops.
• Can't keep upwith the September call to arms? Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish has every team's call-ups listed; some interesting names for those who follow prospects both old and new.