PITTSBURGH PIRATES NOTES:

THE PIRATES: Were shut out 4-0 in the opener of their two-game series against the Tigers Tuesday night…Ended their four-game losing streak with Sunday’s win at Baltimore…Won seven straight games from 4/17-23, their longest winning streak since 2018 (11 games)…Are 2.0 games out of first place coming into today in the National League Central.

RICH ON THE HILL: Lefthander Rich Hill gets the start this afternoon in the finale of this two-game series and five-game road trip for the Pirates…Hill had a no-decision (3.2ip/3r/1er) in his last start that came one week ago today against the Colorado Rockies at PNC Park in a 4-3 loss.

MORE ABOUT RICH: Rich Hill has gone 3-1 with a 2.73 ERA (26.1ip/8er) in his last five starts coming into today…Prior to that, he went 0-2 with a 7.20 ERA (15.0ip/12er) in his first three starts as a member of the Pirates…Hill’s 2.73 ERA since April 17 ranks 13th among all National League pitchers.

MICHIGAN MAN: Rich Hill has gone 4-0 in 19 career appearances (six starts) in his career against the Tigers…He is also 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA (21.0ip/9er) in nine appearances (three starts) here at Comerica Park…Hill played baseball at the University of Michigan from 2000-02, where he tossed eight complete games, including two shutouts, as a junior in 2002.

BACK TO THE BURGH: The Pirates will return to Pittsburgh following the conclusion of today’s game that will wrap up a six-day, five-game road trip to Baltimore and Detroit….The Pirates will be off for the third time in a week tomorrow before starting a six-game homestand Friday night against the Diamondbacks and Rangers…Monday’s visit by the Rangers will be just the fourth series the Rangers have played at PNC Park (also 2002, 2007 and 2019).

ON THE MEND: Last night left-handed pitcher Rob Zastryzny began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis… Zastryzny threw a total of 20 pitches (12 strikes) while working 1.0 scoreless inning in Indianapolis’ home game against Iowa…Zastryzny has been on the 15-day injured list since April 16 with left elbow discomfort.

SOUTHPAW SUCCESS: This afternoon will be the 12th time the Pirates are opposed by a starting left-handed pitcher (Pittsburgh has gone 7-4 in games started by lefties this season)…Connor Joe ranks fourth in all of MLB with a 1.216 OPS against lefties while Rodolfo Castro ranks 10th with a 1.067 OPS…As a team, Pittsburgh’s .434 slugging percentage against southpaws ranks seventh in all of Major League Baseball.

MAKE THAT A DOUBLE: Carlos Santana doubled in his second at-bat last night while reaching base safely twice in four plate appearances…Since recording his first double of the season on April 5, Santana’s 12 doubles are tied for the fifth-most among all National League players (teammate Bryan Reynolds also has 12 in that time).

RAMIREZ IN RELIEF: Yohan Ramirez struck out a career-high tying four batters in relief Tuesday night while also throwing 2.1 scoreless innings against the Tigers…Ramirez has now tossed 7.1 consecutive scoreless innings while compiling a 1.46 ERA (12.1ip/2er) and 15 strikeouts in eight appearances with the Pirates this season.

THE RENEGADE: David Bednar comes into today with the third-lowest ERA (0.56) among all relievers in MLB…The only two relievers to produce lower earned run averages in MLB are Baltimore’s Yennier Cano (0.00) and David Robertson of the Mets (0.53)…Bednar also ranks fourth among all relievers in MLB in walks per 9.0 innings (0.56).

TAMING THE TIGERS: Carlos Santana has hit 27 home runs in his career against the Tigers (the only two teams he has homered against more are the Royals and Twins with 31 apiece)…Santana’s 27 home runs vs. Detroit are tied for the second-most among all active players along with Jose Abreu and Nelson Cruz…The only active player to hit more home runs against the Tigers is Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez.

PIRATING: The Pirates come into today leading all of MLB with 50 stolen bases…The next closest teams are the Guardians and A’s with 42 apiece..Pittsburgh hasn’t led all of MLB in stolen bases since swiping 260 bags in 1977.

TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – 44 – LHP RICH HILL
YEAR W-L ERA G GS CG SHO IP H R ER BB SO
2023 3-3 4.35 8 8 0 0 41.1 48 24 20 13 36

RICH HILL: The 43-year-old lefthander is making his ninth start this afternoon…Had a no-decision (3.2ip/3r/1er) in his last start on 5/10 vs. Colorado at PNC Park.

vs. DETROIT: 4-0 with a 4.19 ERA (43.0ip/20er) in 19 appearances (six starts)…Started twice against the Tigers in 2022…Had a no-decision (4.1ip/3er) at Comerica Park on 4/12 and won a 5-4 decision against Beau Brieske at Fenway on 6/21.

DETROIT TIGERS NOTES:

TIGERS SHUT OUT PIRATES IN SERIES OPENER: The Tigers opened their series against the Pirates with a 4-0 win on Tuesday. Michael Lorenzen started and tossed 6.0 scoreless frames, allowing five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Will Vest fanned three over 2.0 innings, while José Cisnero struck out two in the ninth. Offensively, Riley Greene had three hits, including a double, while Spencer Torkelson had a pair of doubles and a RBI. Javier Baez also added a hit and a RBI.

GREENE MACHINE: Riley Greene posted his second consecutive three-hit game and his fifth of the season last night against the Pirates. His five three-hit performances this season is tied for the American League lead. Greene has recorded at least one hit in 16 of his last 18 games, batting .375/.416/.500 with six doubles, a homer and nine RBI. Since April 26, Greene ranks third in the American League and sixth in the Majors in batting average.

IN THE ‘ZEN DEN: Michael Lorenzen continued his impressive stretch of pitching last night, twirling 6.0 scoreless innings with five hits
allowed, two walks and a season-high seven strikeouts. Lorenzen has allowed one run-or-fewer in three consecutive starts, the longest streak of his career. Over his last three outings, Lorenzen has a 2-1 record with a 0.90 ERA (20.0IP/2ER) and 11 strikeouts.

TIGERS AND PIRATES: The Tigers and Pirates conclude their first series of the season tonight. After today’s game, the two teams will next meet
in Pittsburgh on August 1-2. The Tigers went 3-1 against the Pirates last season, including splitting a two-game series at Comerica Park.

INTERLEAGUE ACTION: The Tigers continue their interleague schedule today against the Pirates. Detroit is 10-2 against National League foes this season, including a 5-2 record against NL Central teams. The Tigers have finished with a winning record against NL opponents in each of the last two seasons.

AT COMERICA PARK: The Tigers are 2-2 on their current five-game homestand, which includes three games vs. Seattle (2-2) and two games vs. Pittsburgh (1-0). Detroit has a 10-9 record at home this season. As a team, the Tigers are hitting .244/.309/.378 at Comerica Park, while
the pitching staff has a 4.27 ERA (175.0IP/83ER).

ON DECK: After an off day tomorrow, the Tigers open a six-game road trip, which starts with three games against the Nationals. Detroit and Washington last met in 2019 with the Nationals winning two-of-three games at Comerica Park. The Tigers have a 12-10 lead in the all-time series, including a 4-5 record in our nation’s capital.

TIGERS ON THE IL:

• RHP Beau Brieske (right upper arm discomfort, 60-day IL on March 30, retroactive to March 27)
• OF Kerry Carpenter (right shoulder sprain, 10-day IL on April 29, retroactive to April 28)
• RHP Matt Manning (right foot fracture, 60-day IL on April 12)
• OF Austin Meadows (anxiety, 60-day IL on April 8, retroactive to April 7)
• RHP Casey Mize (right elbow sprain, 60-day IL on February 17)
• RHP Freddy Pacheco (right elbow sprain, 60-day IL on March 27)
• LHP Tarik Skubal (left elbow strain, 60-day IL on March 14)
• RHP Spencer Turnbull (neck discomfort, 15-day IL on May 12, retroactive to May 7)
• RHP Trey Wingenter (right biceps tendinitis, 15-day IL on April 22, retroactive to April 19)

TODAY’S TIGERS STARTING PITCHER

57 Eduardo Rodriguez • 4-2, 1.57 ERA (51.2IP/9ER)

• Rodriguez will make his ninth start of the series today in the series finale vs. Pittsburgh.
• Picked up his fourth win of the season on Thursday at Cleveland, throwing 7.0 shutout innings with four hits allowed, two walks and eight strikeouts…has thrown at least 5.0 innings and given up one run-or-less in six consecutive starts, the longest streak of his career, and tied with Michael Fulmer (May 21-June 17, 2016) and Al Benton (April 19-May 20, 1945) for the second-longest streak in franchise history…Justin Verlander holds the longest streak in club history with seven straight from June 9-July 10, 2011…over his last six starts,
  he has compiled a 4-0 record with a 0.43 ERA (41.2IP/2ER) and 41 strikeouts.
• Named Tigers Pitcher of the Month for April, starting five games during the month and posting a 2-1 record with a 1.72 ERA (31.1IP/6ER) and 25 strikeouts…among AL pitchers (min. 25.0 IP), he ranked fourth in ERA, while he was sixth in WHIP (0.86).
• Has faced the Pirates just once in his career, receiving a no decision on April 13, 2017 after allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits with four walks and eight strikeouts in 5.1 innings…in 15 career starts at Comerica Park, he has an 8-4 record with a 2.79 ERA (84.0IP/26ER) and 80 strikeouts.
• Since 2018, he has a .675 winning percentage, which ranks eighth among all active Major League pitchers over that span (min. 100 starts).