This is an 8* play on SAN DIEGO

How Pittsburgh is above .500 is a minor miracle. They have not just the worst run differential in the division (-48), but the second worst in the entire National League (Miami). They lost last night here in San Diego, 4-3, and we should get a repeat of that result tonight. Probably we should expect things to be even more lopsided. Even though the Bucs are 12-11 on the road, they've actually been outscored by a full run per game. The rotation is in tatters right now, putting a lot of pressure on starter Jordan Lyles this evening. While Lyles has a 6-1 team start record this year, his career numbers against San Diego aren't good at all. We're talking a 5.60 ERA, a 1.73 WHIP and opponents batting average of .296 against his former team. San Diego turns to Lucchesi, who is a much better pitcher at home than he is on the road. Then again, Lucchesi did just go 5 1/3 innings at Coors Field last Saturday while allowing one run. The Pirates have lost their last six games against left-handed starters. Play on SAN DIEGO

AAA