NEW YORK METS (63-52, first place/NL East) vs. PITTSBURGH PIRATES (66-46, second place/NL Central)
Friday: RHP Bartolo Colon (10-11, 4.76) vs. LHP J.A. Happ (0-1, 8.31), 7:10 p.m. ET
Saturday: LHP Jonathon Niese (7-9, 3.46) vs. RHP Charlie Morton (7-4, 4.48), 7:10 p.m. ET
Sunday: RHP Matt Harvey (11-7, 2.61) vs. LHP Jeff Locke (6-7, 4.43), 1:10 p.m. ET
PIRATES SHORT HOPS
Left fielder Starling Marte departed Wednesday’s game with a bruised left hand, which he suffered the previous day. He pinch ran in the ninth and played the outfield in the bottom half of the inning in Thursday’s series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Marte, Andrew McCutchen and Gregory Polanco form an elite young outfield. McCutchen ranks third in the National League with 77 RBIs. Polanco has reached base safely in 29 of his past 31 games. Although Pirates fans were clamoring for the 23-year-old Polanco to be demoted a month ago, he has hit .336 (34-for-101) with three homers and 13 RBIs in his past 25 games.
Happ makes his second start for the Pirates since being acquired in a July 31 trade with the Seattle Mariners for minor leaguer Adrian Sampson. Happ allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 4. He then was skipped the next turn because Pittsburgh had an off day. The Pirates needed a starting pitcher after A.J. Burnett landed on the disabled list with elbow inflammation.
The Pirates bolstered an top-notch bullpen by acquiring Joakim Soria from the Detroit Tigers on July 30 for minor leaguer JaCoby Jones. Soria typically handles the seventh inning, with Tony Watson working the eighth and Mark Melancon closing. Melancon’s 35 saves are tied with St. Louis’ Trevor Rosenthal for the major league lead. Melancon has converted a franchise-record 33 straight chances. His lone 2015 blown save came on April 21 against the Cubs.
Pedro Alvarez has committed 16 errors -- 10 more than any other major league first baseman. Michael Morse has started two of the past six games at the position. Aramis Ramirez, acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers on July 23, has started to work out at the position to provide another option. Ramirez exclusively has played third base during his 18-year major league career.
Third baseman Josh Harrison (thumb) and shortstop Jordy Mercer (knee) started rehab assignments on Tuesday, but neither is expected back from the disabled list until after the series against the Mets. Ramirez has handled third base since arriving from the Brewers. South Korean Jung Ho Kang has excelled at shortstop. Before going hitless in five at-bats on Thursday, Kang had been hitting .373 since the All-Star break.
Second baseman Neil Walker went 3-for-5 with a double, triple and two RBIs on Thursday. He is hitting .297 (43-for-145) with seven homers and 22 RBIs since July 1.
The Mets will miss Pirates aces Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano during the weekend series.
