The Pittsburgh Pirates open a three-game series tonight with the Seattle Mariners of the American League at PNC Park. First pitch is 7:05pm. Pre-game begins on WISR at 6:40pm. Mitch Keller will go to the mound for the Bucs.
The Pirates begin the night 65-85 overall and in last place in the National League Central. Seattle is 62-88 and in last place in the American League West.
Pirates rookie outfielder Bryan Reynolds will begin the night 11 back in the batting race. He enters tonight’s game hitting .322, while Washington’s Anthony Rendon is hitting .333.
Pirates first baseman Josh Bell is two behind Rendon for the Runs Batted In lead. Bell has 116. RBI’s. Bell currently has 37 home runs.
In the National League, the Washington Nationals and the Chicago Cubs hold the two Wild Card positions. Milwaukee remains a game behind the Cubs, while other teams have faded. The New York Mets are four games back with two weeks remaining in the season.
Cubs All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo suffered a sprained ankle Sunday attempting to field a bunt, and may miss the remainder of the regular season.
In the American League, Oakland has jumped over Tampa Bay for the top Wild Card. The Rays lead Cleveland for the final Wild Card by 1-1/2 games.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have clinched the N.L. West. The Atlanta Braves have clinched a playoff spot.
The Pirates claimed infielder Corban Joseph off waivers from the San Francisco Giants Monday. The 30-year old has spent parts of three seasons with three clubs in the major league’s since 2013. He spent most of this year at Triple-A Las Vegas, where he batted .371 with 35 doubles, 13 home runs, 73 RBI’s and 63 runs scored. He finished the season ranked second in the Pacific Coast batting average.