Phils Open at PNC, Willy v Pivetta, Notes - Luplow Up, Holmes Down; Hoglund Picks Ole Miss

Today: The game starts at 7:05 and will be carried by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. The weather should be about perfect. The first 20,000 fans will get a Jamo figurine, even though he doesn't start til tomorrow. Go figure.

Pitchers: RHP Trevor Williams (6-6, 4.22) gets it going against RHP Nick Pivetta (5-7, 4.66). Willy followed a gem with a clinker; the Pirates need him to find his 2017 consistency instead running of hot-and-cold. He was solid if wild in his April outing against the Phils, allowing two runs on one hit with five walks while striking out seven over six innings in a match against the Philadelphia righty. Pivetta has the same issue; he's given up two or fewer runs in 10 outings but four or more in five, so it's tough to tell if Jekyll or Hyde is showing up between these two. He started against Willy in April and the Phils won 3-2 in a game decided by the bullpens. Nick went 6-1/3 IP, giving up two runs on five hits with two walks and seven whiffs.

Willy on the mound tonight (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Josh Bell 1B, Starling Marte CF, Gregory Polanco RF, Colin Moran 3B, Elias Diaz C, Corey Dickerson LF, Josh Harrison 2B, Jordy SS & Williams P. AM gets to ride the pine tonight while Clint continues to juggle the lineup with noted burner J-Bell leading off for the second time of his MLB career. He led the order once in 2016, although his OBP is better than J-Hay, AM or Starling's.

Notes:

• Let's hope for some home cookin' - The Phillies swept a four-game series against the Bucs at Citizens Bank Park in late April.
• OF Jordan Luplow (.297/.382/.487 w/eight HRs) has been recalled from Indy and RHP Clay Holmes has been optioned to High-A Bradenton after his dismal Fourth of July outing (although almost surely to keep him on schedule with the AAA All-Star break due). Luplow adds a RH bat to the outfield mix.
• Joe Musgrove is coming along in his recovery from a finger infection and is nearly ready to toss a bullpen session.
• Fran Cervelli went 0-for-3 with two whiffs and two walks in his first rehab game with Altoona. He'll DH again tonight.
• RHP Mitch Keller (9-3/3.71) and 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes (.290) have been named to the US Team for the Futures game. WV Power pitching coach Joel Hanrahan has been selected as the US team's bullpen coach. There are no Bucco reps on the World Team.

Mitch Keller makes the Futures Game team (photo MLB Pipeline)

• Gunnar Hoglund, the 36th overall competitive pick, didn't sign with Pittsburgh per national reports. Hoglund's pool signing bonus was $1,967,900 and it's estimated that the team could have gone up to $2.4 M without losing a 2019 pick. Lotta loot for a high school kid to leave on the table as he heads off to Ole Miss. The Pirates will get the #37 pick in the 2019 MLB Draft as compensation.
• IF Dilson Herrera is back in the show. After recovering from 2017 shoulder surgery, he hit .297 in AAA and earned a call up from the Reds. Herrera was a hot Bucco prospect sent to the Mets in 2013 as part of the Marlon Byrd rental.