The second half of the season begins tonight, with the Pirates defending the best record in baseball and sending Brandon Cumpton to the mound. That's one crazy sentence. Because of the Pirates' 14-inning game against the Brewers necessitated him to warm up, Jeff Locke's start is being pushed back a bit. Because Sunday was Jeanmar Gomez's day to throw a bullpen session, apparently Cumpton is the best option to defend the nine-game winning streak against Philadelphia at home. Josh Harrison was sent down to make room for Cumpton, which is a good indication that this is a short-term solution and nothing more.
Jonathan Pettibone goes for the Phillies. First pitch is at 7:05.
