The Pittsburgh Pirates will look to snap a three-game losing streak – or extend it, if you’re a member of the Kumar Rocker Fan Club – when they take on the Cincinnati Reds at 4:10 p.m. today in the first game of a doubleheader at Great American Ballpark.
The Pirates take a 14-30 record into today’s twinbill. That’s the worst mark in all of Major League Baseball – a full game “better” than the worst the American League has to offer: the Boston Red Sox.
Cody Ponce (1-1, 3.46), summoned from Altoona as the 29th man today, will start the opener for the Pirates against one of the National League’s best in Trevor Bauer (4-3, 1.74).
Mitch Keller (1-1, 3.52), who has been on the injured list since sustaining a strained left oblique on Aug. 1, will return to the rotation to start the nightcap tonight against Anthony DeSclafani (1-2, 7.20).
The Reds, picked by some as a sleeper in the NL Central, have snoozed through this truncated season for the most part, as they enter play today with a 21-26 mark.
Today’s twinbill will be broadcast on AT&T SportsNet. The first-game lineups:
PIRATES
1. Erik Gonzalez, SS
2. Adan Frazier, LF
3. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B
4. Colin Moran, 1B
5. Josh Bell, DH
6. Bryan Reynolds, CF
7. Kevin Newman, 2B
8. Cole Tucker, RF
9. John Ryan Murphy, C
REDS
1. Shogo Akiyama, LF
2. Nick Castellanos, DH
3. Joey Votto, 1B
4. Eugenio Suarez, 3B
5. Mike Moustakas, 2B
6. Aristides Aquino, RF
7. Nick Senzel, CF
8. Tucker Barnhart, C
9. Jose Garcia, SS