Tigers at Pirates
The relative weakness of the National League Central is keeping the Pittsburgh Pirates in the race despite a sub-.500 record. The Pirates will try to draw one game closer to the first-place Chicago Cubs when they host the Detroit Tigers in the second of a four-game home-and-home interleague series on Tuesday.
Pittsburgh came out of the All-Star break hot and reached one game over .500 on July 21 before dropping off over the next two weeks during an offensive slump. That offense still comes and goes, but the pitching got the Pirates off on the right foot against the Tigers as Trevor Williams surrendered one hit in seven scoreless innings and two relievers closed out the one-hit, 3-0 shutout. Right-hander Chad Kuhl is coming off a strong outing of his own and will try to lead Pittsburgh to its fifth win in six games when he takes the mound on Tuesday opposite Tigers lefty Matthew Boyd. Detroit had its own hot streak last week but dropped its last three games while totaling five runs.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, ATT SportsNet Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Matthew Boyd (5-5, 5.35 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Chad Kuhl (4-7, 4.53)
Boyd had a string of three straight wins and three consecutive quality starts come to an end when he allowed four runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings at Baltimore on Thursday. The 26-year-old ran into some control problems in the outing and issued four walks while needing 91 pitches to get through 4 1/3 frames. Boyd is seeing Pittsburgh for the first time and is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in three career interleague games - two starts.
Kuhl turned in his best start of the season last time out, scattering four hits over seven scoreless innings in a win over the Cincinnati Reds. The Delaware native surrendered two or fewer earned runs in six of his last seven turns. Kuhl is getting his first look at Detroit and going for his first win in interleague play, where he is 0-0 with a 2.08 ERA in three starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pirates RHP George Kontos made his team debut on Monday after being acquired from the San Francisco Giants and worked a perfect eighth inning.
2. Detroit recalled INF Jeimer Candelario, who was acquired in the deadline deal that sent Justin Wilson and Alex Avila to the Chicago Cubs.
3. Pittsburgh C Francisco Cervelli is 4-for-11 with four runs scored in his last three games.