Pittsburgh @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 31, 2010 ) Pittsburgh 5, Detroit 8

The Detroit Tigers have had trouble with some bad teams in the American League Central Division. Now they get a chance to bounce back against the worst team in the National League Central.

After losing a series to both the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox, the Tigers return home to face the Pittsburgh Pirates in an interleague series that starts Friday.

Detroit has lost two straight and three of its last four. The Tigers are second in the division behind the Minnesota Twins but are just 1-3 against the White Sox and 4-5 against the Royals this season. Detroit is still just 4 1/2 games behind the Twins despite its woes against two of the division's bottom feeders.

Miguel Cabrera leads the Tigers in every meaningful offensive category, hitting .339 with 18 home runs, 53 RBIs and 42 runs scored, but he has just two RBIs in his last six games and the Tigers offense seems to have hit the skids overall.

Right fielder Magglio Ordonez was out of the lineup Thursday, missing his third straight game with a strained left oblique muscle, center fielder Austin Jackson went 1-for-13 in the White Sox series after a 1-for-14 performance against Kansas City, and Johnny Damon does not have an RBI in his last 14 games.

Justin Verlander (6-4, 3.65 ERA) gets the start for Detroit and will be facing the Pirates for the first time. Verlander won his last start, going seven innings and allowing two runs and five hits in a 4-2 triumph over the Royals on Sunday.

Pittsburgh might be just what Detroit needs to get going again. The Pirates have lost five straight and are just 9-22 on the road. Pittsburgh was swept by Washington, making the Pirates the first team to be swept by the Nationals this season.

Ross Ohlendorf (0-3, 4.30) will start for Pittsburgh in search of his first victory of the season. Ohlendorf has pitched well in his last two outings but has a pair of no-decisions to show for it despite allowing just four runs and 11 hits in 13 innings.

In two career games against Detroit, including one start, Ohlendorf is 1-0 with a 0.96 ERA. The Princeton product has allowed 23 walks and struck out 23 in 37 2/3 innings this season.