Tigers look to break 4-game slide

Published

Pittsburgh Pirates (9-6, second in the NL Central) vs. Detroit Tigers (8-8, third in the NL Central)

Detroit; Wednesday, 6 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Pirates: Trevor Williams (1-0, 2.46 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 12 strikeouts) Tigers: Spencer Turnbull (1-2, 4.80 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 19 strikeouts)

LINE: Pirates favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 8 runs

BOTTOM LINE: Detroit enters the matchup as losers of their last four games.

The Tigers are 4-4 against the rest of their division. Detroit ranks last in the majors in hitting with a .203 batting average, Niko Goodrum leads the club with an average of .289.

The Pirates have gone 6-5 against division opponents. Pittsburgh has slugged .381 this season. Josh Bell leads the team with a mark of .600. The Pirates won the last meeting 5-3. Keone Kela earned his first victory and Jung Ho Kang went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs for Pittsburgh. Shane Greene took his first loss for Detroit.

TOP PERFORMERS: Christin Stewart leads the Tigers with nine extra base hits and is batting .216. Gordon Beckham is 4-for-21 with two doubles, two home runs and three RBIs over the last 10 games for Detroit.

Bell leads the Pirates with 12 RBIs and is batting .309. Starling Marte is 9-for-43 with two doubles, a triple, two home runs and eight RBIs over the last 10 games for Pittsburgh.

LAST 10 GAMES: Tigers: 5-5, .224 batting average, 3.54 ERA, outscored by five runs

Pirates: 7-3, .245 batting average, 2.70 ERA, outscored opponents by one run

Tigers Injuries: Matt Moore: 10-day IL (knee), Michael Fulmer: 60-day IL (elbow), Jordy Mercer: 10-day IL (right quad spasm).

Pirates Injuries: Edgar Santana: 60-day IL (elbow), Chad Kuhl: 60-day IL (elbow), Gregory Polanco: 10-day IL (shoulder), Corey Dickerson: 10-day IL (shoulder), Lonnie Chisenhall: 10-day IL (finger), Jose Osuna: 10-day IL (neck), Kevin Newman: 10-day IL (finger), Elias Diaz: 10-day IL (illness).