Game Thread: Taillon Goes For 15th Win

Jameson Taillon will go for his 15th win Saturday, squaring up against Michael Lorenzen (3-2, 3.35) in Cincinnati at 4:10 p.m..

Taillon will try to become just the third Pirate of the 21st century to reach 15 wins in a season (the other two being Gerrit Cole in 2015 and A.J. Burnett in 2012). He’s been on fire down the stretch, going 5-0 with 41 strikeouts and a 1.62 ERA in his last six starts (39 IP).

Lorenzen’s last two outings were his first two starts of the season, going four innings both times. Those two starts yielded polar opposite results. In his first, he had a shutout, one-hit outing. In the more recent trip to the mound, he was lit up for nine hits and four runs.

Jung-Ho Kang will make his first start in the major leagues since Oct. 2, 2016, playing third base and batting fifth. He singled as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning yesterday in his first game since being recalled from the minors.

Lineups

Pirates

RF Adam Frazier

CF Starling Marte

1B Josh Bell

LF Corey Dickerson

3B Jung-Ho Kang

2B Josh Harrison

SS Jordy Mercer

C Jacob Stallings

P Jameson Taillon

Reds

SS Jose Peraza

RF Mason Williams

1B Joey Votto

3B Eugenio Suarez

LF Scott Schebler

C Tucker Barnhart

2B Dilson Herrera

P Michael Lorenzen

CF Billy Hamilton