ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves will go old-school with their pitching staff on Tuesday when they send starter R.A. Dickey to the mound on three days' rest.

Dickey (3-3, 4.13 ERA) will start the second game of a four-game series with the Pirates. Right-hander Tyler Glasnow (2-3, 7.34) gets the ball for Pittsburgh.

Atlanta won the series opener 5-2 on Monday behind homers from Brandon Phillips and Matt Adams.

Dickey, a knuckleballer, isn't believed to require as much rest as a typical pitcher, and Atlanta manager Brian Snitker didn't hesitate to send the veteran to the mound on non-typical rest. The move allows Snitker to squeeze Dickey in the rotation between hard-throwing Mike Foltynewicz and Julio Teheran, thus giving the starting staff a different look.

"We wanted to use R.A. to break up a couple of similar guys," Snitker said. "It gives us the opportunity to do that. If it was up to him, he'd pitch every fourth day anyway."

Dickey has made eight career starts on three days' rest, going 3-4 with a 6.20 ERA.

This season, the right-hander has made eight starts, recording 26 strikeouts and 21 walks in 48 innings. He has made nine career appearances, eight starts, against the Pirates, going 3-3 with a 2.76 ERA. He lost to Pittsburgh on April 8 when he allowed six runs, three earned, in 5 2/3 innings.

In his most recent outing, Dickey tossed 5 1/3 innings and yielded four runs, two earned, in a no-decision against the Washington Nationals on Friday.

Glasnow is 23, 19 years younger than Dickey. The rookie, considered the best pitching prospect in the organization, will make his first career appearance against Atlanta. He beat the Nationals in his last start on Thursday, allowing four runs, two earned, on three hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out six.

If Glasnow can't go deep into the game -- his longest stint is 6 1/3 innings -- the Pirates will turn to a reliable bullpen anchored by Felipe Rivero, Juan Nicasio and Tony Watson. The Pittsburgh bullpen worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings on Monday.

Nicasio has made 13 straight scoreless appearances. Rivero has a team-high 11 holds. Watson, who earned his 10th save on Sunday, has converted 10 of his 11 save opportunities.

Manager Clint Hurdle said, "It's been a long run (for Nicasio). I don't know the last time he gave up a run. I think it's been a while. He's been aggressive. It hasn't been one thing, because it's not like they're all strikes. He's had some extended counts. I think the split changeup is something he's been able to combat the left-handers."

Watson is succeeding even though his strikeout rate is down. He has 14 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings. Last season, he registered 58 strikeouts in 67 2/3 innings.

"I think as pitchers mature, they get a better feel of what they want to do and how they want to do it on the mound," Hurdle said. "His feel for pitching, I just think, is maturing. He knows himself really well. It's not just missing bats now. It's weak contact."

Pittsburgh may know more by game time about the severity of the injury to shortstop Jordy Mercer, who left the Monday contest early after taking a ground ball off the base of his right thumb. He was examined by the medical staff and ruled day-to-day.

The Braves have won eight of their past 11 games. The Pirates have won six of their past nine. Despite the loss on Monday, Pittsburgh has won 15 of the past 22 games against Atlanta.