PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates play their final home game of the season Thursday, and its a proposition welcomed by them only because they wont play the Chicago Cubs again until 2017.For the first time since 2012, there will be no autumnal postseason baseball in Pittsburgh that Pirates fans like to refer to as Buctober, and the Cubs are greatly the reason why.The Pirates will wrap up an unsatisfying 2016 season at PNC Park, where they are 38-42, including a 5-17 record in their last 22 home games. Its been quite the turnaround, given that the Pirates (192 home wins since 2013) trail only the Los Angeles Dodgers (200) and St. Louis Cardinals (194) in home wins since the 2013 season.This season, its the Cubs whove made themselves at home, winning a major league-leading 57 games at home -- the kind of mastery they hope to carry into the postseason next week, with home field advantage through the NL playoffs. Theyve also gone 14-4 against the Pirates, despite losing 8-4 Wednesday as Pirates first baseman John Jaso became the first player to hit for the cycle in PNC Park.First, though, theyve got to wrap up their best regular season since 1910 with the game in Pittsburgh and three more in Cincinnati this weekend. And that means continuing to give at-bats to their key regulars -- six of their eight position player starters Wednesday night were starters -- and to give a glance or two to some prospects.That includes rookie left-hander Rob Zastryzny, their second round pick in 2013 whos off to a promising start with a 1-0 record and 1.46 ERA in seven relief appearances. Hell make his major league starting debut Thursday night, opposing veteran Pirates right-hander Ivan Nova (12-8, 4.37 ERA).Zastryzny has an interesting background. He was born in Edmonton before moving at age 1 to Dallas where, true to his Canadian roots, he excelled in youth hockey before switching to baseball.I had it (hockey) in my blood, he told the Chicago Tribune. But, after playing in a tournament against Canadian players in which he realized he might not be as good as he initially thought, his parents told him, You know what? Heres a baseball, try that.Cubs manager Joe Maddon likes what he sees of Zastryzny so far, even thought the left-hander has appeared in only three games this month.His stuff is good and hes a strike thrower, and I love strike throwers, Maddon said.This will be Novas 11th start since the Pirates acquired him from the New York Yankees on Aug. 1, and so far hes been exactly what Jonathon Niese, Francisco Liriano and Juan Nicasio werent to Pittsburgh -- an effective starter. He is 5-2 with a 3.49 ERA, 47 strikeouts and only three walks with the Pirates, one reason why they want to bring him back next season if they can afford him.Hes been a really good get for us, and thats an understatement, manager Clint Hurdle told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.However, Nova has been less effective lately, giving up 18 hits and nine earned runs in seven innings over his last two starts after going 5-0 in his first eight Pirates starts. He lasted four innings during a 6-1 loss to the Washington Nationals, giving up eight hits and five earned runs.The past three seasons, the Pirates were gearing up for the postseason -- they lost to the Cardinals in a five-game NLDS in 2013, and to the Giants (2014) and the Cubs and Arrieta (2015) in the NL wild card game at PNC Park the previous two seasons.Now, theyre gearing up for the offseason.Ill finally get to sleep in my own bed for the first time in eight months, Pirates right-hander Jameson Taillon said. 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It has been 174 days since the Philadelphia 76ers drafted Ben Simmons with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.Simmons donned the 76ers uniform during Summer League, but he is yet to see any playing time during the regular season after suffering a fracture to the fifth metatarsal in his right foot on the final day of training camp.Philadelphia coach Brett Brown has previously stated there is no timetable for Simmons return, but he was optimistic the star would be available in January. Today, during Philadelphias practice, Simmons appeared on the floor, free of the moon boot and shot free throws.?That is significant, Brett Brown stated with matter-of-fact emphasis.Sixers fans worldwide refuse to get ahead of themselves with excitement, but Brown believes things are finally heading in the right direction for Simmons.?He walked out on the court in sneakers and he shot free throws, Brown said. So, that is significant to me. Youre like, I got yah. Here we go.Since beginning rehab a little over two months ago, Simmons and Brown have been conducting one-on-one tutoring sessions to develop his on-court game.We took him through, Here, you got the ball, youre the point guard, said Brown. What do you see? What do you do? What do I call this? What are the reads? What can he do?On Tuesday, Brown put Simmons through his first exam.We went through that for a half an hour [Tuesday] morning.From a non-medical standpoint and just his coach, the evoluttion that he and I have been able to have in a classroom and on a court, in talking things through over the past few months, is fantastic.ddddddddddddThe 76ers have been in this situation before, with a previous high draft pick limited to the moon boot and enduring endless rehab. Joel Embiid knows the heartaches and struggles that you go through during rehab, and he understands that shooting free throws without the boot means a lot to the individual.Definitely, he said Tuesday. I asked [Simmons] the first thing when I saw it, I was like, How do you feel? You could see that smile on his face.Embiid missed two seasons before finally making it onto the NBA floor, and he is now soaking up the limelight. After seeing Simmons on the practice floor, Embiid was optimistic about a potential return.Now, you can get back on the court, you can start doing more stuff, you can start shooting. It just frees you up, and Im sure hes happy about it.I got better. Im sure hes going to get better, too.Brown is not getting ahead of himself.Were all going to be just extremely careful; everybody needs to hear that, and we know that. Were going to be extremely careful with how his progression into the team goes.No matter how you look at it, Simmons is edging closer to his first professional game of basketball and all signs are pointing up. 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