Game Thread: Toss the names into a hat

With the Pirates’ playoff hopes rapidly slipping away after Friday night’s crushing 15 inning implosion, manager Clint Hurdle has taken the opportunity to shake up the lineup as Jameson Taillon (9-9, 3.58) takes on right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (13-4, 3.58)

After suffering the loss last night, Clay Holmes has been optioned back to Indianapolis and replaced on the roster with Nick Kingham, who had been scheduled to start for the Triple-A team.

The 30 year old Chacin, on his sixth team in five years, has been effective the last two, compiling a 3.89 ERA in 32 starts for San Diego last year and the 3.58 mark in 27 starts this year. In 2018 he has been very tough on right-handed batters, allowing only a .548 OPS on a 184/248/300 line, while being averaging vs left-handers, with a .765 OPS on a 25/352/412 line.

Taillon has been on a hot streak, allowing three or fewer runs in each of his last 15 starts, with a 3.04 ERA in 94 ²⁄₃ innings over that stretch.

With the right-hander Chacin on the mound for the Brewers, lefty swinging Adam Frazier, who was 3-for-7 in Friday’s 15 inning loss and has his 342/386/566 since coming back from Triple-A a month ago - will have a seat as Josh Harrison returns to the starting lineup at second base. Including switch-hitter Josh Bell, who will bat second in the lineup, Hurdle has penciled four left-handed batters to face Chacin.

.

PIRATES

1 R Starling Marte CF

2 S Josh Bell 1B

3 L Gregory Polanco RF

4 R Francisco Cervelli C

5 L Corey Dickerson LF

6 R Josh Harrison 2B

7 L Colin Moran 3B

8 R Kevin Newman SS

9 R Jameson Taillon RHP

.

BREWERS

1 L Christian Yelich LF

2 R Lorenzo Cain CF

3 L Travis Shaw 2B

4 R Jesus Aguilar 1B

5 L Mike Moustakas 3B

6 L Eric Thames RF

7 R Hernan Perez SS

8 R Manny Pina C

9 R Jhoulys Chacin RHP