Game 79: Indians at Pirates

Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland, round one!
Probables: Trevor Bauer (6-5, 3.96) vs. Charlie Morton (6-1, 4.28)
Game preview:
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/201507...game_pk=414849
"Cleveland-Pittsburgh rivalry renewed at PNC Park
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | + 9 COMMENTS
The rivalry between the cities of Cleveland and Pittsburgh plays out yearly in the NFL, but it's rare that the respective fan bases can carry the passion into a baseball stadium. That will change this weekend, when the Indians head to PNC Park to take on the Pirates in a three-game Interleague series.
The opener on Friday will feature Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer, who has boasted a pristine 1.69 ERA in seven road starts and an 0.82 ERA in three Interleague outings this season. Bauer has been stellar in previous meetings with the Cardinals, Reds and Cubs this year, and now will get the chance to take on one of the National League's contenders in the Pirates.
Pittsburgh will counter with righty Charlie Morton, who will be aiming to turn things around after a pair of subpar outings. Over his past two starts, the veteran starter has given up 13 runs on 18 hits in only 6 2/3 innings. Perhaps it will help that Morton will head into the outing riding a streak of 18 straight shutout innings against American League opponents.
Three things to know about this game
• With the right-handed Morton on the bump for the Bucs, expect veteran outfielder David Murphy to be back in the lineup for the Tribe. Working in a platoon with right-handed-hitting Ryan Raburn, Murphy has hit .331 (50-for-151) against righties, but has only nine at-bats (three hits) against lefties. Center fielder Michael Bourn might also return to the lineup after serving a one-game suspension Thursday.
• With Jung Ho Kang serving as the Pirates' roving (third base and shortstop) X-factor of sorts, shortstop Jordy Mercer hadn't started more than 11 consecutive games until mid-June. Then, Mercer got hot (15-for-39 in the nine games heading into Thursday) and figures to make his 18th straight start in the series opener against Cleveland.
• There is reportedly no love lost between Bauer and Pirates starter Gerrit Cole, who were teammates during their days at UCLA. Cole was taken by the Pirates with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, and Bauer went shortly thereafter at No. 3 (D-backs). The former collegiate duo will not get the chance to lock horns, as Cole (11-3, 2.20 ERA) is slated to start Sunday.
Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, follow him on Twitter @MLBastian and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs."