Pirates Close Out Red Set, Nova v Tim Adelman, Lineup, Notes

Today: The getaway day contest in the Queen City will start at 12:35. It’ll be shown by Root Sports and 93.7 The Fan. The game is kinda iffy; it’s been raining in Cincy and it’s supposed to be an all-day affair, so that should wash out this match. And guess what the Buccos are gonna get tomorrow when they open…same storm, and the rain is supposed to last through Saturday with a 50% chance of drops falling Sunday, too.

Lineup: Josh Harrison 3B, John Jaso RF, Cutch CF, Gregory Polanco LF, Josh Bell 1B, Fran Vervelli C, Alen Hanson 2B, Gift Ngoepe SS & Ivan Nova P. Jordy has a scheduled off day; a Ngoepe-Hanson middle makes its MLB debut. Good to see Amore back in the lineup after four days on ice.

Pitchers: Ivan Nova (3-2, 1.50 ERA) tosses against Tim Adleman (0-1, 4.70) in the series’ farewell game. Super Nova has been doing a Cy Young impression throughout April, being name PoM while combining some pretty accurate dart-throwing with a mean curve as his polish-’em-off pitch. The Reds haven’t found him that tough a nut, though. Ivan is 3-3/3.92 ERA in six career starts and lost a decision to them earlier in the year. Adleman had two good outings, then was thumped by the Cards in his last start. He faced the Pirates twice last year, both times going six IP and giving up a pair of runs, so he’s been quite workmanlike.

Notes:

• Andrew McCutchen has reached base safely in each of his last 22 games, which is the second-longest active streak in MLB, trailing only Seattle’s Mitch Haniger (25 games).
• The Bucs have gone deep in a season-high seven straight games.
• The Pirates will open a three game homestand against Milwaukee, weather permitting, before heading back out on the road for another seven day road trip against the Dodgers (May 8-10) and D’backs (May 11-14) to conclude a stretch that had Pittsburgh playing 14 of 17 games away from PNC Park.