Day 2: Undefeated Bucs send Trevor Williams to the mound

Coming off a 13 inning, 13-10 opening day victory for the Pirates in Detroit, it’s another day...and the same lineups, except for the Tigers starting their backup catcher John Hicks.

The Pirates will send second year pitcher Trevor Williams to the mound, who was 7-9 with a 4.07 ERA in his rookie season - but which was 3.65 in 135 innings after his shaky initial start.

The home Tigers start Michael Fulmer, beginning his third season in their rotation. The 6-3, 210 pound right-hander has good control, averaging only 2.3 walker per 9 innings in his first 51 major league starts, but has a rather low 6.8 strikeouts per 9 considering a fastball that average 95.8 mph in 2017.

Fulmer uses both a 2 and 4 seam fastball, using them about equally as much when facing left handed batter but leaning more on the 2-seamers to righties. He does not throw a curveball, using a change (22%) and slider (9%) to lefties, and reversing that usage to righties, with slider (29%) and change(13%). Although the 2-seam fastball is Fulmer’s most used pitch to either type of batter, it’s arguably his least effective. Batters on both sides of the plate have only a 9% whiff rate and put 38-39% of strikes into play, although he throws it for a strike more often to righties (71% to 63%) who also put it on the ground much more often (62% to 44%)

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PIRATES

1 L DH Adam Frazier

2 R 2B Josh Harrison

3 L RF Gregory Polanco

4 S 1B Josh Bell

5 L LF Corey Dickerson

6 R CF Starling Marte

7 R C Francisco Cervelli

8 L 3B Colin Moran

9 R SS Jordy Mercer

RHP Trevor Williams

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TIGERS

1 L CF Leonys Martin

2 S 3B Jeimer Candelario

3 R 1B Miguel Cabrera

4 R Nicholas Castellanos

5 S DH Victor Martinez

6 R C John Hicks

7 R LF Mikie Mahtook

8 R SS Jose Iglesias

9 R 2B Dixon Machado

RHP Michael Fulmer