Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 19, 2011 ) Cincinnati 11, Pittsburgh 8

THE STORY: After enduring a disastrous 2010 campaign, Pittsburgh Pirates righthander Charlie Morton has looked like a completely different pitcher this season. No team is more aware of his improvement than the Cincinnati Reds. Morton’s been nearly unhittable in three wins against Dusty Baker’s club and he’ll look to continue that trend on Saturday. Morton will try to help the Pirates rebound from Friday’s series-opening loss. Cincinnati had lost seven of the nine meetings before scoring three runs off closer Joel Hanrahan in the ninth inning of an 11-8 victory.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FOX

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Charlie Morton (9-6, 3.43 ERA) vs. Reds LH Dontrelle Willis (0-3, 4.08 ERA).

Morton went 2-12 with a major league-worst 7.57 ERA in 2010, but is in the midst of an incredible bounce-back season. Morton’s 24-inning scoreless streak came to an end on Sunday, when he allowed one run and four hits in 7 1/3 innings against Milwaukee. The righthander could start a new streak against the Reds. Morton has posted a microscopic 0.39 ERA in three wins over Cincinnati this season. Drew Stubbs is hitting .316 (6-for-19) versus Morton.

Willis left his last start against San Diego on Sunday after 2 2/3 innings with tightness in his forearm, but he threw a bullpen session and should be ready to face Pittsburgh. The lefthander, who’s making his eighth start with the Reds, is seeking his first win since June 5, 2010, with Arizona. Willis is 2-6 with a 3.75 ERA in 10 starts against Pittsburgh. He is 0-4 with a 5.57 ERA in four starts vs. the Pirates since last beating them in 2006.

ABOUT THE PIRATES (58-65): The Pirates, who were in first place in mid-July, have lost 20 of the last 27 games to fall out of the National League Central race. Garrett Jones has been one of the lone bright spots, hitting .333 (21-for-63) with four homers and nine RBIs over the last 17 games. Derrek Lee, who was acquired from Baltimore on July 31, has been out since Aug. 10 with a broken hand. The Pirates’ starters been very good for most of the season, but they compiled an 8.39 ERA during a 10-game skid earlier this month. Pittsburgh has enjoyed a rare power surge, hitting six homers in the first four games of this 10-game homestand. The Pirates still have managed just 82 home runs, which ranks 24th in the majors.

ABOUT THE REDS (61-64): The defending NL Central champions broke out of their offensive rut in a big way Friday. Cincinnati scored 11 runs – one more than they managed over the previous four games – thanks to homers from Joey Votto, Ryan Hanigan and Brandon Phillips. Jay Bruce had an RBI single Friday, giving him 18 RBIs over the last 11 games. Righthander Johnny Cueto leads the majors in ERA (1.89). The last Cincinnati pitcher to lead the NL in ERA was Ed Heusser in 1944. Cincinnati's sub-par season can be attributed to poor pitching (the Reds entered Friday 21st in baseball with a 4.05 team ERA), but it's also a bit of bad luck. The Reds have suffered 11 walk-off losses this season, which is tied with St. Louis for the most in baseball. It is their most since 1993, when they lost 14 games in the final at bat.

FINAL PITCH: Three of the Pirates’ five complete games this season have come against the Reds.