Bucs By the Bay, Nova v Suarez, Lineup & Notes - Holmes Up, Rotation Pushed Back

Today: The game starts at 10:15 and will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Pitchers: RHP Ivan Nova (6-6, 4.49) starts it off against LHP Andrew Suarez (4-7, 4.60). Ivan's due; he's given up eight runs (seven earned) and 14 hits in his last two starts, which have lasted just nine innings. The Bucs don't need Nova to be top-three, but they sure could use some consistency from him. He lost to the Giants in May, giving up four runs and eight hits in 5-2/3IP. The Giants 25-year-old rookie has been streaky, and his last four games have been streaky bad - he's 1-2/7.89 over that span. He's faced the Bucs once this year and gave up five runs in four innings. If both guys pitch to their recent trends, sharpen your pencil; your scorecard will look like a coloring book.

Ivan kicks off the four-gamer (photo image AT&T SportsNet)

Lineup: Adam Frazier LF, Starling Marte CF, Gregory Polanco RF, David Freese 3B, Elias Diaz C, J-Bell 1B, Josh Harrison 2B, Jordy SS & Nova P. Another version of Clint's lefty lineup.

Notes:

• Clay Holmes will start tomorrow followed by Trevor Williams and Joe Musgrove. It's supposed to be a pre-planned move to give everyone who started at Coors Field an extra day's rest. The new arrangement will require a roster move then. Seems a little odd with Monday as a scheduled off day; could be with Arch a bit sickly and Jamo coming off a complete game that the Bucs are just being a little cautious.
• Pittsburgh took 2-of-3 in an earlier May meeting with the G-Men at PNC Park. The Bucs are 59-56 and San Fran 57-58, so the set is a chance for the local nine to separate a little from one of the wild card contenders (Pittsburgh is five games back, SF seven). The Pirates have gone 7-2 in their last nine games played in San Francisco and are 9-3 at AT&T Park, so it's not all that hostile a battleground. 
• Hopefully, Gregory can shake his slump - he's gone 3-for-24 in his last seven games.
• The Pirates, oddly enough, have a reverse split against southpaws - the Pittsburgh lefty hitters have a 118 OPS+ against them, but righties have compiled just a 93 OPS+ against opposite arm throwers.
• Player's weekend is around the corner (August 24th-26th). The jersey and nicknames are showcased by MLB.com's Adam Berry.