Game Thread: Pirates vs Indians, 8/18/20

The Pirates take on the Cleveland Indians tonight in the first of a three-game series at PNC Park. The first pitch will be thrown at 7:05 p.m. and will be broadcast on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh.

With the Bucs schedule having been interrupted by COVID-19 (again), JT Brubaker (0-0, 3.38 ERA, 9 K) will take the hill against the Tribe tonight. He’s pitched eight innings in the Show so far, with three walks to go along with his eight strikeouts. Derek Shelton and Oscar Marin will probably let him go at least four innings or more unless he runs into trouble PLEASE DON’T LET THAT BE A JINX KTHX.

Carlos Carrasco (2-2, 3.22 ERA, 30 K) is coming off his poorest outing to date, lasting only four and a third innings against the Chicago Cubs on August twelfth, giving up three hits, including an Anthony Rizzo home run. That aside, he’s been doing pretty well, even better when you consider that at this time last year he had leukemia. The Tribe’s lukewarm hitting has been covered by its good pitching (looks pointedly at Bucs’ pitching staff).

Here are your lineups, and, of course, LET’S GO BUCS!

INDIANS:

Cesar Hernandez, 2B

Jose Ramirez, 3B

Francisco Lindor, SS

Carlos Santana, 1B

Franmil Reyes, DH

Tyler Naquin, RF

Domingo Santana, LF

Roberto Perez, C

Delino DeShields, CF

PIRATES:

Adam Frazier, 2B

Kevin Newman, SS

Josh Bell, 1B

Colin Moran, DH

Bryan Reynolds, LF

Gregory Polanco, RF

Erik González, 3B

Jarrod Dyson, CF

Jacob Stallings, C