I fully accept that the Pirates are currently wedged between a rock and a hard place and haven’t had time to properly respond to Jordy Mercer’s injury, but the lineup that it’s left them with tonight is horrendous, with Travis Ishikawa at first and Sean Rodriguez at third. I will continue to hope that this is a temporary situation.
Yordano Ventura starts for the Royals tonight, and he’s mostly pitched poorly this year when healthy. This is only his second start since mid-June due to a hand problem, and his pre-All-Star Break return start was awfully uneven. When he is healthy he’s a hard-thrower that doesn’t miss a ton of bats. Hopefully the Pirates can get some runs on the board against him, even with this lineup. AJ Burnett starts for the Pirates, and oddly enough I’m wondering if he’d be the sixth or seventh best hitter for the Pirates tonight, despite not being allowed to bat.
The Pirates’ roster is thin, but there’s no time to wallow in self-pity now. They’re going to have to find a way to win some games against good teams with this lineup if they want to stay close to the Cardinals. First tonight pitch is at 8:10.
Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images
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