Detroit takes 3-game skid into matchup with Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Pirates (8-6, second in the NL Central) vs. Detroit Tigers (8-7, third in the NL Central)
Detroit; Tuesday, 6 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Pirates: Joe Musgrove (1-1, 0.00 ERA, 0.44 WHIP, 9 strikeouts) Tigers: Matthew Boyd (1-1, 2.60 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 29 strikeouts)
LINE: Pirates favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 8 runs
BOTTOM LINE: Detroit enters the game as losers of their last three games.
The Tigers are 4-4 against opponents from the AL Central. Detroit has hit seven home runs this season, last in the majors. Christin Stewart leads them with three while slugging .489.
The Pirates have gone 6-5 against division opponents. Pittsburgh has a collective .247 this season, led by Melky Cabrera with an average of .405. This is the first meeting of the season for these two teams.
TOP PERFORMERS: Stewart leads the Tigers with seven extra base hits and is batting .191. Gordon Beckham is 3-for-17 with a double, two home runs and three RBIs over the last 10 games for Detroit.
Josh Bell leads the Pirates with nine extra base hits and has 12 RBIs. Cabrera has 13 hits and is batting .448 over the last 10 games for Pittsburgh.
LAST 10 GAMES: Tigers: 6-4, .231 batting average, 3.17 ERA, outscored by one run
Pirates: 7-3, .259 batting average, 2.87 ERA, outscored opponents by two runs
Tigers Injuries: Matt Moore: 10-day IL (knee), Michael Fulmer: 60-day IL (elbow), Nicholas Castellanos: day-to-day (toe), Jordy Mercer: 10-day IL (right quad spasm), Josh Harrison: day-to-day (shoulder).
Pirates Injuries: Edgar Santana: 60-day IL (elbow), Dovydas Neverauskas: 10-day IL (oblique), Chad Kuhl: 60-day IL (elbow), Kyle Crick: 10-day IL (triceps), 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).
