Monday: Bucs-Brewers, Cole Train v Matt Garza, Lineup, Notes

Tonight: First pitch is at 7:40. The game will be carried by Root Sports and 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Adam Frazier LF, Josh Harrison 2B, Gregory Polanco RF, David Freese 3B, Josh Bell 1B, Cutch CF, Fran Cervelli C, Jordy Mercer SS & Gerrit Cole P.

Pitchers: Gerrit Cole (4-6, 4.54) starts the set against Matt Garza (3-2, 4.17). Hard to believe that Gerrit is only 26 after all the ups and downs, bumps and bruises and  his 108 Bucco starts since he was drafted in 2011. Anyway, enough nostalgia; after a horrible four-game stretch, he tossed a beaut against the Rox in his last outing, so let’s hope that’s an omen of things to come. He’s 2-3/3.42 against The Crew in eight career starts. Cole Train has a no-decision in one start (seven IP, one run) against them this season; a 2-1, 10-inning Bucco win at PNC Park. He didn’t face Milwaukee in 2016. This is Garza’s second start since coming off the DL after bruising his chest in a collision. He started off the season pretty well but has been banged around in thee of his last four outings. Garza faced the Pirates once this year an gave up a run in seven innings on eight hits. Last year in four outings v the Pirates, he was 1-3/4.66.

Notes:

• Felipe Rivero has three straight four out + saves, matching Joel Hanrahan’s mark from 2011. Julian Tavarez is the last Pirates pitcher with four or more saves of four outs + in a season (seven in 2003) and is the last Bucco with three or more consecutive saves of four+ outs (four).
• This four-gamer is the first of three Bucco visits to Miller Park this season, with a two-game stop on August 15-16th and a three-game series from September 11-13th also on the card. The Pirates have won six of their last seven games played in Milwaukee after being swept in the first Miller Park set of 2016, finishing 6-4 in Brew Town last season.
• Since Andrew made his MLB debut in 2009, only two NL players have hit at least 150 home runs while also stealing 150 or more bases – Cutch (187 home runs & 166 stolen bases) and Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun (221 home runs and 156 stolen bases).