Game Thread: Lyles takes on the Reds in Game 3

Jordan Lyles, the surprise ace of the Pittsburgh pirates with a 2.81 ERA through nine starts, will face the Cincinnati Reds and rookie right-hander Lucas Sim at 6:40 p.m. Eastern At Great American Ballpark.

Sims, acquired at the July trade deadline last year from the Atlanta Braves in the Adam Duvall deal, has struggled to a 6.01 ERA in 72 career major league innings split between the Braves and Reds, but this year is leading the Triple-A International league with 63 strikeouts in just 44 innings, a rate of 12.8 K’s per 9 innings.

Sims, a six foot, one inch 200 pound right-hander, through a fastball that averaged 92.2 mph last year, mixing in a slider, curve and change. In Triple-A this year he’s allowed a 704 OPS to right-handed batters, fanning 48 of 117 (41%) while having an 852 OPS and 20% k-rate vs left-handed batters.

Joey Votto will sit out his second straight start for the Reds, suffering discomfort in his right hamstring suffered while scoring on a sacrifice fly in the first game yesterday. It’s not expected to be serious.

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PIRATES

1 R Kevin Newman 2B

2 L Gregory Polanco RF

3 R Starling Marte CF

4 S Josh Bell 1B

5 S Melky Cabrera LF

6 L Colin Moran 3B

7 R Elias Diaz C

8 S Cole Tucker SS

9 R Jordan Lyles RHP

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REDS

1 R Nick Senzel CF

2 L Jesse Winker LF

3 R Eugenio Suarez 3B

4 L Derek Dietrich 1B

5 R Yasiel Puig RF

6 R Jose Iglesias SS

7 L Tucker Barnhart C

8 R Jose Peraza 2B

9 R Lucas Sims RHP