Indians  5    Pirates  4

Cleveland Indians (29-42) at Pittsburgh Pirates (31-38), 7:05 p.m.

Sports Network | June 23, 2009

(Sports Network) - A pair of reeling last-place Central Division teams - the Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates - square off in the opener of a three-game interleague series tonight at PNC Park.

The Pirates are 7 1/2 games behind the first-place St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central, having lost four in a row and five of six after being swept by Colorado over the weekend at Coors Field.

Meanwhile, the Indians are last in the American League Central, 10 games in back of the first-place Detroit Tigers after losing three straight to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field and six straight overall.

For Pittsburgh, right-hander Ian Snell again looks to kick-start some consistency after snapping a five-decision skid in his most recent start on June 17.

In that game, at Minnesota, the Delaware product allowed five hits and two runs in six innings of an 8-2 triumph at the Metrodome.

Previously, he'd lost five straight games and seven of eight, posting a 5.25 earned run average through his initial 72 innings of 2009.

Snell won his lone career start against the Indians, allowing two earned runs on four hits in five innings, walking five and striking out four.

For Cleveland, rookie left-hander David Huff lost his first two decisions in the majors before reeling off two wins and a no-decision in his last three starts.

In the triumphs over the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis, he allowed 10 hits and six runs in 12 1/3 innings, walking five and striking out eight.

He tossed five innings in the Indians' 9-8 loss in his last start on June 17, allowing five hits and three runs in five innings.

In 33 career innings, Huff has given up 42 hits and 26 runs.

He has never faced the Pirates.

On Sunday in Chicago, Jake Fox knocked in three runs and Randy Wells picked up his first major league victory, as the Cubs completed the sweep of the Indians with a 6-2 win in the series finale.

Cleveland's Jeremy Sowers (1-5) was lit up for six runs on seven hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings of work. Travis Hafner and Mark DeRosa each had an RBI in the loss, the Indians' sixth straight.

In Colorado, Clint Barmes homered, doubled and knocked in two runs, as the Rockies edged the Pirates, 5-4.

Freddy Sanchez hit a two-run homer and had three RBI for Pittsburgh. Andrew McCutchen went 2-for-5 with a triple and two runs scored in defeat.

Paul Maholm (4-4) took the loss after giving up eight hits and five runs, while issuing four walks over five frames. The left-hander finished with seven strikeouts.

Cleveland took two of three from the Pirates the last time these teams met back in 2006. Pittsburgh, though, has won five of the last six in the Steel City in the series.