Losers of a bajillion games in a row, the Pirates send Joe Musgrove (7-9, 4.29) to the mound at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday in Cincinnati, faced by Reds’ right-hander Tanner Roark (6-6, 3.95)
This is Roark’s first season in Cincinnati after five full years with the Washington Nationals, acquired in a December 2018 trade for reliever Tanner Rainey.
The durable Roark, who has never been on a major league disabled list, will be making his 21st start. This year, as in most previous, his two-seam fastball has averaged 92 mph, with which he mixes in a slider, curve and change. Roark appeared in Pittsburgh on April 6, allowing three runs in five innings on seven hits and two walks.
Roark has been very tough on right-handed batters this year, allowing only a 605 OPS on a 229/273/332 batting line, while lefties light him up to a 941 OPS on a 315/403/538 line. The Pirates will have five batters swing from the left side against Roark.
Although he allowed five earned runs in five innings his last time out, Musgrove has been pitching better of late, with a 3.11 ERA over his last seven starts, covering 37 2⁄3 innings.
Musgrove’s splits are more moderated, with right-handers hitting for a 679 OPS on a 223/288/391 line and lefties an 802 OPS on a 278/318/483 line. He’ll face only three right-handed Reds batters in their starting lineup.
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PIRATES
1 L Adam Frazier 2B
2 S Bryan Reynolds RF
3 R Starling Marte CF
4 S Josh Bell 1B
5 L Colin Moran 3B
6 L Corey Dickerson LF
7 R Kevin Newman SS
8 R Jacob Stallings C
9 R Joe Musgrove RHP
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REDS
1 L Jesse Winker LF
2 L Joey Votto 1B
3 R Eugenio Suarez 3B
4 R Yasiel Puig RF
5 L Scooter Gennett 2B
6 R Nick Senzel CF
7 R Jose Iglesias SS
8 R Tanner Roark RHP
9 R Kyle Farmer C