Streaking Pirates host Marlins for three games

The Pirates, winners of four in a row and eight of their last ten as they fall out of contention for a prized raft slot, play host to the Miami Marlins at 7:05 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday evening in the first of a three game series. Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara (4-12, 4.22) is scheduled to face the Pirates’ rookie prospect Mitch Keller (1-3, 8.62)

the 23 year old Alcantara, obtained from the Cardinals in Dec. 2017 in the Marcell Ozuna trade, is in his first full season in the majors, the owner of a career 4.09 ERA, with 4.6 walks and 7.1 whiffs per nine innings. He faced the Pirates on June 16 in Miami, allowing three runs in six innings.

Alcantara’s a hard thrower who’s fastball averaged 97.9 when he first arrived in the majors with the Cardinals in 2017, and which has been at 95.5 each of the last two years. He uses a slider and change with an occasional curve.

In his major league career Alcantara has shown slightly reverse splits, allowing a .723 OPS to right-handed batters (235/338/385) while giving up fewer walks but more hits and power to right-handers, with a .759 OPS (246/339/420).

Keller is coming off a bad start in Philadelphia where in four innings he struck out eight but also allowed eight runs on eleven hits. So far in seven starts he’s been a Jekyll and Hyde, allowing four earned runs in sixteen innings in his three good starts, with 26 runs in 15 ¹⁄₃ innings in his other four.

The Marlins have recalled three players, including Colin Moran’s brother Brian.

The Pirates have added five to their major league roster

The Marlins will send only two left-handed bats to the plate against Keller, while Pirates’ shortstop Kevin Newman will miss another start with a tight calf.

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MARLINS

1 R Jon Berti CF

2 R Miguel Rojas SS

3 R Starlin Castro 3B

4 S Neil Walker 1B

5 R Garrett Cooper RF
6 L Isan Diaz 2B

7 R Harold Ramirez LF

8 R Bryan Holaday C

9 R Sandy Alcantara RHP

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PIRATES

1 L Adam Frazier 2B

2 S Bryan Reynolds LF

3 R Starling Marte CF

4 S Josh Bell 1B

5 L Colin Moran 3B

6 R Jose Osuna RF

7 R Jacob Stallings C

8 R Erik Gonzalez SS

9 R Mitch Keller RHP