PITTSBURGH PIRATES (33-40) vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (33-38) JUNE 23, 2017 at Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO --- GAME #74/ROAD #37 RHP JAMESON TAILLON (3-2, 3.38 ERA) vs. RHP ADAM WAINWRIGHT (7-5, 5.75 ERA) THE PIRATES...have lost back-to-back games after winning two in a row and three-of-four...Have gone 7-5 in their last 12 games after losing four straight and five- of-six...Won a season-high four straight games from 6/10-13...Have gone 19-17 in their last 36 games, dating back to 5/13...Have scored a season-high 12 runs four times; the last time coming on 6/2 at New York (NL)...Had a 34-39 record after 73 games last season (35-39 after 74). BUCS WHEN... BACK ON THE BUMP: After missing five weeks of big league action due to testicular cancer surgery on May 8, Jameson Taillon returned to the mound on 6/12 against Colorado and tossed 5.0 scoreless innings for the win...He suffered a loss in Last five games ................ 2-3 his last start on Sunday, giving up four runs in 5.0ip against the Cubs...In four starts on the road this season, Taillon has gone Last ten games ................. 5-5 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA (24.0ip/7er), giving up one run or less in three of the four outings. ARCH ENEMIES: The Pirates and Cardinals are meeting in a three-game series at Busch Stadium beginning tonight...The Bucs Leading after 6 ................24-6 dropped three straight 2-1 decisions to the Redbirds during their first visit to St. Louis this season between April 17-19 and Tied after 6 ....................4-3 have lost their last seven games played here after winning four in a row last year between May 8 and July 6. Trailing after 6 .................5-31 FREESE WARNING: David Freese is hitting .316 (18-for-57) with a home run, seven RBI and 10 runs scored in his last 16 games...In addition, he has gone 10-for-26 (.385) with a home run and five RBI in his last six games played on the road...In Leading after 7 ................28-4 17 career games against his former team, Freese is hitting .333 (19-for-57) overall and .358 (19-for-53) with a home run in Tied after 7 .....................1-2 his 13 starts; hitting safely is 12 of the 13 and reaching base safely in all 13. Trailing after 7 ................4-34 DOING SOME YARD WORK: The Pirates have homered in seven straight games, matching the season high also done by the club between April 26-May 3 and May 23-29...The Bucs have not gone deep in eight consecutive games since doing so in 12 Leading after 8 ................28-4 straight during the 2015 season between August 5-18. Tied after 8 .................... 2-2 BLACK & BLUE BUCCO: Josh Harrison has been hit by a pitch four times in the last four games and leads all Major League players with 15 HBPs this season...Harrison was hit by a pitch in four consecutive plate appearances over the course of two Trailing after 8 ................ 3-34 games earlier this season on April 16-17...Since the start of the 2013 season, Pittsburgh batters have been hit a Major League leading 372 times (the Cubs are second with 330 and the Cardinals are third with 311). Scoring first ..................21-14 RINGING THE BELL: Since the first All-Star Game was played in 1933, the 13 home runs hit by Josh Bell are the second-most Opp. score first ................12-26 ever hit by a Pirates rookie prior to the All-Star Break...Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner hit 15 in 1946 on his way to hitting 23 in his first season with the Bucs...Bell’s 27 extra-base hits are the most by a Bucco rookie prior to the All-Star break since Richie Scoring 4+ ...................29-9 Hebner had 28 in 1969...In addition to Bell and Hebner, only three other Pittsburgh rookies have had 27 or more extra-base hits Scoring less than 4 ..............4-31 prior to the break; Dale Long (29 in 1955), Lee Walls (28 in 1956) and Ralph Kiner (27 in 1946). STREAKING ON THE ROAD: Dating back to 5/10, Josh Harrison has reached base safely in 18 straight road games, going Outhitting Opp. ............... 24-5 26-for-73 (.356) with seven HBP and five walks (.447 OBP)...Harrison has reached base safely in nine of his last 10 games Being out-hit ..................7-33 played at Busch Stadium, hitting safely in eight of the 10. Hits are equal .................. 2-2 SIXTH SENSE: In 25 games since moving to the sixth spot of the batting order on 5/26, Andrew McCutchen has gone 35-for- 89 (.393) with five doubles, a triple, eight home runs and 23 RBI while producing a Major League leading 1.228 OPS and Comeback wins ................. 16 .486 on-base percentage...He has hit safely in 21 of the 25 games, raising his season average 65 points from .203 to .268... In addition, McCutchen has produced seven multi-hit games in his last 13 starts (20-for-45, .444) and has gone 26-for-63 Wins in final AB ..................6 (.413) in his last 17 contests...Since 5/26, McCutchen’s .393 average is the second-highest in the National League behind Walkoff Wins ....................4 Washington’s Daniel Murphy (.404). Losses in final AB .................9 RAVING ABOUT RIVERO: Felipe Rivero has been charged with one run in his last 17 appearances (17.2ip) while striking out 19 batters and holding opponents to a .100 average (6-for-60)...Rivero enters today’s action with the second-lowest ERA (0.70) Walkoff Losses ...................6 among Major League relievers behind Pat Neshek (0.63)...Rivero has posted a 1.78 ERA (65.2ip/13er) in 65 games since being acquired by the Pirates last year on 7/30; tied with Alex Wood for the second-lowest ERA among all Major League pitchers in Extra Inning Games .............5-6 that time (min: 60.0ip), trailing only Andrew Miller (1.60). Playing errorless ..............15-21 MERCER MERCER ME: Jordy Mercer had his 11-game hitting streak (15-for-39, .385) snapped on Thursday and he is now hitting .376 (41-for-109) with eight doubles, three triples, four homers and 14 RBI in his last 28 games, raising his average Committing at least 1 Error .......18-19 76 points from .203 to .279...Beginning with the action on 5/22, Mercer’s .376 average is the fourth-highest among all Major Homered ................... 25-24 League players (minimum of 90 PA) behind Ben Gamel (.391), Ender Inciarte (.377) and Daniel Murphy (.376). 2+ homers ....................11-2 POPS AND CUTCH: Andrew McCutchen has now hit 14 or more home runs in nine consecutive seasons...The only Pittsburgh player with more consecutuive seasons of 14 or more homers was Hall-of-Famer Willie Stargell, who did so in 13 straight Series (W-L-T) ...............9-10-4 campaigns between 1964 and 1976. Series Sweeps ....................2 COMING THRU IN A PINCH: John Jaso connected for his second pinch-hit home run of the season on 6/13 and has gone 6-for-16 (.375) with seven RBI overall as a pinch hitter this season...Over the last four seasons (2014-2017), Jaso is hitting Swept in a Series .................5 .347 (26-for-75) with four home runs and 16 RBI as a pinch hitter - the highest PH average among all MLB players. Interleague ...................2-6 Before the break ............. 33-40 ON THIS DATE IN PIRATES HISTORY After the break .................0-0 June 23, 1953: The Pirates defeated Hall-of-Fame pitcher Warren Spahn and the Braves in Milwaukee, 1-0. Spahn, who would produce a 23-7 record and a 2.10 ERA while being named The Sporting News Pitcher-of-the-Year in 1953, struck out 12 batters and surrendered just two hits Starter goes 6.0ip+ ............19-18 in the loss. Bucco outfielder Carlos Bernier delivered the game-winning hit; a two-out single in the 8th inning. RHP Bob Hall tossed a six-hit Starter goes less than 6.0ip ....... 14-22 shutout and picked up the win for the Pirates. UP-COMING GAMES AND PROBABLE PITCHERS Saturday at St. Louis 6:15 RHP Gerrit Cole (5-6, 4.28 ERA) vs. RHP Lance Lynn (5-4, 3.33 ERA) FOX Sunday at St. Louis 7:05 RHP Chad Kuhl (2-6, 5.46 ERA) vs. RHP Mike Leake (5-6, 3.03 ERA) ESPN Monday OFF DAY IN PITTSBURGH 50 - RHP JAMESON TAILLON (PRONOUNCED TIE-own) YEAR W-L ERA G GS CG SHO IP H R ER BB SO 2016 5-4 3.38 18 18 0 0 104.0 99 40 39 17 85 2017 3-2 3.38 8 8 0 0 45.1 47 18 17 16 39 M.L. CAREER 8-6 3.38 26 26 0 0 149.1 146 58 56 33 124 vs. ST. LOUIS: 0-0 with a 3.60 ERA in one career start...Opposed Mike Leake and received a no-decision in Pittsburgh’s 4-3 win at PNC Park on 9/7/16 (5.0ip/2er). DATE/OPP W/L IP H R ER BB SO PITCHES ERA SCORE DATE/OPP W/L IP H R ER BB SO PITCHES ERA SCORE 4/5 at Boston ND 7.0 5 0 0 3 6 95 0.00 0-3 L 4/11 vs.