Tuesday: Bucs-Bravos, Glasnow v RA Dickey, Lineup, Notes & News

Tonight: It’s a 7:35 start for the second bout at Sun Trust Park in Atlanta. The game will be aired by Root Sports and 93.7 The Fan. The game shouldn’t be played in the rain tonight, although tomorrow looks iffy right now.

Lineup: Adam Frazier LF, Josh Harrison 3B, Cutch CF, Josh Bell 1B, Fran Cervelli C, John Jaso RF, Alen Hanson 2B, Jordy Mercer SS & Tyler Glasnow P. Good to see Jordy back; we thought he’d miss a game or two. Hanseon is getting a start over Freeser, whom they’ve been bringing back slowly since his hammy sprain.

Pitchers: Tyler Glasnow (2-3, 7.34) takes the bump against R.A. Dickey (3-3, 4.13). Glasnow has been a tease so far, putting together nice stretches of pitching but always serving up one multi-run frame to burst his balloon. Now it’s a matter of focus while going through the grind as he continues to learn his craft at the highest level. And even with the bumpy path, logic dictated that he be thrown in the deep end to swim or sink; there was really no challenge remaining at the AAA level. This is his first outing against the Bravos. The 42-year-old knuckleballer Dickey has been pretty much pitching to his ERA; he has given up 2-4 earned runs every start and has gotten into the sixth in seven of his eight outings. The Pirates chased him in the sixth in April while winning 6-4 thanks to some Braves gifts that led to three unearned tallies. His floater has proven troublesome to the Bucs in the past. His career Corsair line is 3-3/2.54 in nine appearances (eight starts) with a 1.15 WHIP.

Notes:

• Adam Frazier has a .500 OBP since returning from the DL on May 12th.
• John Jaso has hits in four straight games and reached base safely in his last eight contests.

• Talk about roster churn: Jhan Mariñez was the 35th different player to appear in a game for the Pirates this season.
• It’s been a tough season so far for Tyler Glasnow, but his pure stuff is still evident. The 23-year-old righthander enters today tied for the MLB lead among rookie hurlers with 37 strikeouts, averaging 9.7 K/nine innings.

• The Bucs have joined the Cardinals, Cubs, Phillies, Braves, Tigers and Twins in offering a SRO ticket plan called the Pirates Ballpark Pass. For $29.95/month, you can download an e-ticket from a phone via the MLB.com Ballpark app and watch any game from the left field rotundas, Iron City Skull Bar, Rivertowne Brewing Hall of Fame Club, Block House Corner Bar, and Miller Lite Crow’s Nest among other designated areas scattered around PNC Park. Season ticket holders are obviously less than pleased, but this is becoming a thing for baseball to help get warm bodies in the house. The program begins in June. The long-term affect on season ticket sales and the dynamic pricing concept should be interesting.