The Chicago Cubs (42-58) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (58-43) square off on Monday as 29-year-old SP Justin Germano takes the mound as a starting pitcher for the first time since October 3, 2010.
Germano, acquired in the 2012 season from the Boston Red Sox, has appeared in 2 MLB games in 2012, totalling 8 and 2/3 innings with a 1.04 ERA and 1.91 FIP. In 17 Triple-A games this season, Germano has compiled 16 starts with a 2.40 ERA and 4.20 FIP, striking out a respectable 17.6 percent of batters while walking only an astonishing 3.2 percent.
Here's a look at the day's full lineups, courtesy of Baseball Press:
| Pirates | Cubs |
|---|---|
| 1. Starling Marte (R) LF | 1. Reed Johnson (R) CF |
| 2. Alex Presley (L) RF | 2. Starlin Castro (R) SS |
| 3. Andrew McCutchen (R) CF | 3. Anthony Rizzo (L) 1B |
| 4. Garrett Jones (L) 1B | 4. Alfonso Soriano (R) LF |
| 5. Neil Walker (S) 2B | 5. Jeff Baker (R) RF |
| 6. Pedro Alvarez (L) 3B | 6. Geovany Soto (R) C |
| 7. Michael McKenry (R) C | 7. Darwin Barney (R) 2B |
| 8. Clint Barmes (R) SS | 8. Joe Mather (R) 3B |
| 9. Erik Bedard (L) P | 9. Justin Germano (R) P |
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more comprehensive coverage of this series, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue and PIttsburgh Pirates blog Bucs Dugout. And for more news and notes from around baseball, visit Baseball Nation.