Pirates pregame: Liriano vs. Ryan

LHP Francisco Liriano (Peter Diana/Post-Gazette)

Game: Pirates (43-33) at Tigers (39-37)

Time: 1:08 p.m.

Site: Comerica Park

TV, radio: ROOT Sports, KDKA-FM 93.7

Weather: 72 and mostly sunny

Pirates

1. Josh Harrison 3B

2. Jordy Mercer SS

3. Andrew McCutchen DH

4. Starling Marte CF

5. Jung Ho Kang 3B

6. Francisco Cervelli C

7. Neil Walker 2B

8. Gregory Polanco RF

9. Sean Rodriguez 1B

Francisco Liriano LHP

Tigers

1. Rajai Davis CF

2. Ian Kinsler 2B

3. Miguel Cabrera 1B

4. Victor Martinez DH

5. Yoenis Cespedes LF

6. J.D. Martinez RF

7. Nick Castellanos 3B

8. Bryan Holaday C

9. Jose Iglesias SS

Kyle Ryan LHP

• Clint Hurdle was asked, again, if he had any stories about growing up as a Tigers fan. He did, of course, and it was good. It’s never not good.

"My story would always be the trip we'd make from Big Rapids. My mom and dad would pile us in the car, and we'd come up here, make the drive, and show up for a weekend series. It was very similar to heading to the Wizard of Oz. We were headed to the Emerald City. Not a lot big buildings in Big Rapids. When we'd get outside the city limts, you'd see the big buildings and think, man, this is going to be great. You'd get to the stadium, Tiger Stadium, and it was a museum on top of being a ballpark. I can remember the smells like they were yesterday. The peanuts, the popcorn — well, I guess you can't smell peanuts 'til you crack them open — the smell of the grass, the fresh unis, the old English 'D' on your chest. It takes me back to when I was young, and I have those same feelings every time we drive in here coming into the city. It never gets old, and it's never not good."

• It’s the Pirates’ annual fathers’ trip here in Detroit. Plenty of new (yet eerily familiar) faces around the clubhouse. Sixteen fathers — dads of the trainig staff, coaching staff and players — seeing how their sons live. Here’s Hurdle: "They've got a big responsibility tomorrow night. They're all going to go out and throw out the first pitch against the Indians before the game, so they've all been loosening up, getting their arms ready. Got to make sure we don't have anybody bounce it or overshoot it. And then it's just baseball talk. My dad and I get up every morning and walk over (in Birmingham) to have coffee. We chat things up, we chat things up on the way home. It's fun to hang out. It's fun to have him in the office. I know the kids out there, the players, feel the same way. Their dads have a much better understanding of what their sons walk through and go through on a daily basis. We had them involved in our scout meeting the other day. They all come out like, 'That's what you guys do all the time?' Yeah, that's what we do and how we do it. They are memories that will last a lifetime. They're always precious when you can get a father and son together for three or four days. You need to take advantage of it."

• Gregory Polanco making just his second start vs. a left-hander today. He had three hits last night, so this is a chance to try to keep him in a rhythm and see if his success will translate against a lefty. "We're going to find out,“ Hurdle said. ”That's why he's playing. I like the way he's swinging the bat, so we'll run him out there and see."

• The Pirates had 21 hits last night for the first time since 2004. That last time? It happened against Hurdle’s Colorado Rockies. "We talked about it on the bus last night,” he said. ”I like to tag things, and I can remember walking out of the ballpark after being beat up by them. I was going, 21 hits, that's Clemente's number, I'll probably hold onto this one for a while. Unfortunately, I'll remember this for a while. So, yeah, I've seen the last two 21-hit games by the Pirates, 11 years apart.“