Game Thread: Jose Osuna recalled as the Bucs head to the South Side of Chicago

With a glut of off days and facing an opportunity to use a designated hitter, the Pirates have recalled Jose Osuna for the second time this year from Triple-A Indianapolis, and he will start at first base, batting eighth.

Osuna has been the Indians’ best hitter so far this year, compiling a 359/419/628 line while collecting 12 doubles, 3 homers and 18 RBIs in 23 games. In his lone game with the Pirates he started and homered in his first at bat.

The White Sox are owners of a 9-23 record and are currently occupying last place in the American League Central, 7 games behind Cleveland.

Ivan Nova (2-2, 4.01) will face right hander Lucas Giolito, once a highly heralded prospect who was the Nationals’ 16th overall pick in the 2012 draft, but who has struggled through injuries and inconsistent results.

Giolito owns a career 3.19 minor league ERA, 3.96 in Triple-A, along rates of better than 9 per 9 innings, but so far in 98 career inning in MLB, covering 17 starts, he’s posted 4.3 walks and only 5.8 whiffs per 9 innings. In four starts with the Nats in 2016 he had a 6.75 ERA and more walks than strikeouts, but in seven starts with the White Sox last year had a fine 2.38 ERA with 12 walks and 34 punch outs in 45 innings. That hasn’t held up as this year he broke camp for the first time, with a 7.03 ERA over six starts, including 23 walks and only 18 strikeouts in 32 innings. His fastball velocity has also dropped form 93.3 in 2016 to 92.4 in 2017 to 91.3 this year, when he’s thrown the fastball 63% of the time, backed up by a change (15%), curve (12%) and slider (10%)

The Pirates have only a slight change to the lineup, having Josh Bell be tonight’s DH as Osuna replaces him at first base while batting eighth, pushing Jordy Mercer down to ninth.

For the home standing White Sox - I get paid to know the players, and the only name I didn’t have to look up is the first baseman Jose Abreu.

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PIRATES

1 L Adam Frazier 2B

2 L Gregory Polanco RF

3 R Starling Marte CF

4 S Josh Bell DH

5 L Corey Dickerson LF

6 R Francisco Cervelli C

7 L Colin Moran 3B

8 R Jose Osuna 1B

9 R Jordy Mercer SS

Ivan Nova RHP

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WHITE SOX

1 S Leury Garcia 2B

2 S Yolmer Sanchez 3B

3 R Jose Abreu 1B

4 L Nicky Delmonico LF

5 R Welington Castillo C

6 L Daniel Palka RF

7 R Matt Davidson DH

8 R Tim Anderson SS

9 R Trayce Thompson CF

Lucas Giolito RHP