on center stage

Today’s can’t-miss game is St. Louis at Pittsburgh, a battle for first place in the National League Central. The Pirates won Friday’s series opener at PNC Park, forging the tie at the top and handing the Cardinals a second straight loss. Enter Lance Lynn to play the role of stopper for the Cards. This is an iffy proposition. The right-hander out of Ole Miss is winless in his last four starts and just 3-5 with a 4.48 ERA over his last 10. His 10-1 start in 2013 seems almost forgotten. For the year, he is 13-8, 4.02 with 158 strikeouts and 62 walks in 168 innings. There is a bright side for Lynn: He has been effective against Pirates stars Andrew McCutchen (4-for-23) and Pedro Alvarez (4-for-18). It’ll certainly be interesting to see how he handles things tonight. He’ll be opposed by A.J. Burnett, a veteran battler who is 6-9, 3.18.