Lineup: Adam Frazier DH, J-Hay 2B, Gregory RF, J-Bell 1B, Corey Dickerson LF, Starling Marte CF, Cervy C, Colin Moran 3B & Jordy SS. Our guess re: Marte hitting sixth, FWIW, is match-up, since he's 1-for-10 v Zimmerman, but how Clint comes up with a batting order has always been "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma" as that great baseball commentator Winnie Churchill would say.
Pitchers: RHP Ivan Nova toes the slab v RHP Jordan Zimmerman, not exactly a classic Opening Day matchup, although Z-Man did work the Tigers home opener last year. Both are looking for bounce backs this season. Ivan was the epitome of league average with an 11-14/4.14 campaign in 2017 while Zim at 8-13/6.08 would aspire to reach Nova's numbers. Nova has faced the Tigers six times and is 0-3/7.05 against them; Zimmerman is 1-3/3.96 in four career outings v the Bucs.
Notes:
The last time Pittsburgh opened the season against Detroit, the Alleghenys beat the Wolverines, who were the defending National League champs, 5-2, on April 20th, 1888, at North Side’s Recreation Park with Ed “Cannonball” Morris going 12 innings for the win. The Detroit nine folded after the '88 campaign; the Tigers didn't come into being as a franchise until 1901, when they became a charter member of the new American League. So this will be the first Pirates-Tigers season Opener clash. - This is new territory for the Tigers; Justin Verlander had made every Opening Day start for Motown since 2007, except for one year when he was on the DL (2015 - Jeremy Bonderman got the ball). Verlander was the Astros Opening Day guy this year, so his streak continues.
- Joe Musgrove will pitch in Florida tomorrow; that keeps him on track for a Thursday start.
- The Giants placed Mark the Shark Melancon on the 10-day DL with a flexor strain.
- Central Opening Day results: Cubs, Brew Crew win; Cards lose; Bucs & Reds rained out.
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