Reds at Pirates
Any chance the Pittsburgh Pirates had of making a move in the National League Central and jumping into the playoff race came to a crashing halt earlier this week at the Chicago Cubs. The Pirates will try to pick up the pieces and salvage the final month when they return home and host the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series.
Pittsburgh squandered its best opportunity to go into the final month with some positive momentum by getting swept in a three-game set against the Cubs by a combined score of 27-5. "We've played hard all year," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. "... The one thing about playing hard, when you can't connect your game, pitching, hitting and fielding, you get tired. It wears you out." The last-place Reds look worn out from time to time as well and dropped two of three to Pittsburgh at home last weekend before finishing off the homestand by taking two of three from the New York Mets. Cincinnati will try to keep the Pirates down with rookie Luis Castillo while Pittsburgh counters with ace righty Gerrit Cole.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Luis Castillo (2-7, 3.26 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Gerrit Cole (11-8, 3.99)
Castillo went up against Cole on Saturday and came out on the losing end despite allowing just one run and three hits over seven innings. The Dominican Republic native, who matched a season high with nine strikeouts on Saturday, surrendered three or fewer earned runs in each of his last seven outings. Castillo is limiting opponents to a .208 batting average.
Cole supported himself with a solo home run off Castillo on Saturday and did not walk a batter while scattering five hits over seven scoreless frames. The former No. 1 overall draft pick entered that start 0-6 in nine career outings against Cincinnati but struck out six while improving his ERA to 4.50 against the division rivals. Cole is 12-3 with a 3.30 ERA in 18 career starts in September.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pirates OF Starling Marte is 6-for-39 with nine strikeouts in the last nine games.
2. Cincinnati LF Adam Duvall is 3-for-30 with 12 strikeouts over his last eight contests.
3. Pittsburgh placed RHP Juan Nicasio on waivers and he was claimed by the rival Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.