Big Joe v Dylan Cease, Lineup & Notes

Game: The White Sox visit for two days, with the first pitch at 7:05. The game will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. The CWS spanked the Bucs late in August winning first by a Lucas Giolito no hitter, 4-0, and then mashing their way to a 10-4 romp.

Lineup: Adam Frazier LF, Eric Gonzalez SS, Bryan Reynolds CF, Colin Moran DH, Gregory Polanco RF, Josh Bell 1B, Ke'Bryan Hayes 3B, Kevin Newman 2B, Jake Stallings C and Joe Musgrove P. With 22 games left, it's hard to understand why Shelty mixes up the lineup so that Tuck can sit; he and Key are the two guys who should play every day.

Big Joe on the bump - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Pitchers: RHP Joe Musgrove (0-4, 6.62) opens against RHP Dylan Cease (5-2, 3.29). Big Joe went three strong innings coming off the IL before he ran into problems (and they were more due to the bullpen than Musgrove). We'll see what king of pitch count Shelty has him on tonight. The 24-year-old Cease is coming off a very strong August. But he's not much of a strikeout guy, will on occasion give up a bundle of walks and generally burns through pitches, so plate discipline is a key against him.

Notes:

• Tuck is pretty much a full-time OF now, but Shelty told Jerry DiPaola of the Trib that he sees him "playing multiple positions" and that he still takes infield when he's not penciled in to start in the pasture.
  
• Chad Kuhl wasn't yanked because of an injury on Sunday; Shelty said he was on a 65-pitch leash.
• The Pirates played 15 games in 13 days; they finished 6-9 over that stretch.
• Marly Rivera of ESPN reports that "All Puerto Rican MLB players will be allowed to wear Roberto Clemente's # 21 on Clemente Day, and all players will have the option to wear a patch with the # 21." Reports are that non-Puerto Rican (and even some non-Latino) players are also requesting to wear # 21, so we'll see how that goes...
• Can't get rid of the guy: The Chicago Cubs claimed OF Billy Hamilton off waivers from the Mets.