Pittsburgh at Cincinnati

The Pirates led the NL Central for quite awhile this season, but have dropped off dramaticall of late. They now trail Cincinnati by 11 games. They are also on the outside of the wildcard race, looking in, trailing St. Louis by just 2.5 games. They seem to play better against the better teams, and off a 2-7 stretch in their last nine, all vs. losing teams, the Pirates last seven vs. winning teams shows them at 5-2. They are also even with Cincinnati on the season with the series tied at six games apiece. The Reds have been coasting and went 3-5 in their last eight with six of those against lowly Houston, placing them now at 1-5 in their last six at home vs. a team with a losing road record. The Pirates need a big win here, while the Reds appear out of focus with a commanding lead in the NL Central. Take Pittsburgh.