Game time: 7:10PM ET
Probable starters:
PIT: Jameson Taillon (1-0, 2.13 ERA)
MIA: Adam Conley (1-1, 3.00 ERA)
The Pirates are ready to settle in for the long haul. Beginning with Friday's 7:10 p.m. ET series opener against the Marlins at Marlins Park, the Bucs will play 17 straight games without an off-day.
For the Marlins, it will be a welcome return to Miami after enduring the longest road trip (mileage-wise) in franchise history. The Marlins traveled a combined 7,162 miles from Miami to Seattle, to San Diego, to Philadelphia and back home.
The Pirates will have only one day off the entire month of May -- the Marlins have three, by comparison -- so Pittsburgh could use lengthy starts to keep the bullpen rested and ready. The Pirates will first turn to right-hander Jameson Taillon, mostly a model of consistency in his first 22 Major League starts. Taillon has pitched at least six innings in 15 of those 22 outings while posting a 3.13 ERA.
Taillon is coming off a rare short start, as he allowed four runs on five hits and three walks over 5 1/3 innings against the Yankees on Saturday. He has walked three batters in three of his four starts this season after doing so only once last year, but some of that is by design as he learns which hitters to pitch around and whom to attack.
Miami, meanwhile, had two days to regroup after a scheduled day off on Monday, followed by a rainout on Tuesday.
Left-hander Adam Conley will start for the Marlins, hoping for more run support than he received last time out. Conley limited the Padres to one run on six hits while striking out five over six innings, but he received a no-decision in Miami's 5-3 loss at Petco Park. Conley's last two outings have been six-inning quality starts.
Things to know about this game:
• Taillon has gone to his two-seam fastball close to half the time this season, and the young right-hander has been able to miss bats with it. His 10.8-percent swinging-strike rate with the two-seamer ranks sixth among pitchers who have thrown at least 100 two-seamers or sinkers, trailing Danny Salazar (15.8 percent), Lance Lynn (15.4), Zach Britton (13.5), Hector Santiago (11.1) and Danny Duffy (11).
• Conley put together a dominant performance against the Pirates in Miami last June. The lefty fired six shutout innings, striking out nine while allowing two hits and three walks on 105 pitches.
• The Pirates could get third baseman David Freese back in the mix. The veteran infielder was sidelined Tuesday with right hamstring soreness, which carried over into Wednesday. He is considered day to day.
• Marlins center fielder Christian Yelich is batting .333 in his career against the Pirates with five home runs and 13 RBIs in 22 games.
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/201704262 ... _pk=490441
BEAT 'EM BUCS!!!
hey it might be true. I'm to lazy to check..