The 2-8 Pirates fell out of the winning tree a couple of weeks ago and are barely hanging on to a lower branch at the moment. They are hitting well south of .200 L10 and are just 1-4 in Detroit. Rich Hill has pitched pretty well for an elder statesman. His last two appearances haven't been his best however, giving up 7 runs in 9 innings pitched. Hill won't overpower anyone, and length may be an issue.

The Tigers shut the Pirates out on a fine pitching performance on Tues. They could have another on Wednesday with Mr. Consistent on the mound. In his last 5 starts, lefty Edwin Rodriguez has thrown 34 innings, allowing just 2 ER. No one can match him in innings pitched or ERA this season. The 6-4 Tigers are no hitting powerhouse, but they are better than the Pirates at the moment, and are getting great relief from the pen lately. Not that Rodriguez needs much help. The Pirates are big on shooting themselves in the foot in recent games. Take the Tigers to win at home on Wednesday.