(Sports Network) - A pair of slumping young right-handers get together tonight, when the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds meet at PNC Park in the finale of a three-game series between cellar dwellers in the National League Central Division.

The teams, who split the first two games of the series before Pittsburgh's 5-2 win on Wednesday, currently sit fifth and sixth in the division, far behind the pace-setting Chicago Cubs and their nearest pursuers in Milwaukee, St. Louis and, to a lesser extent, Houston.

Pittsburgh enters tonight's game 10 games under .500, while the Reds are 15 games under that threshold. The Astros, who are in fourth place in the NL Central, are two games above .500 and have won seven straight.

Pirates starter Ian Snell has won just once in his last nine starts since mid- June, including a 4-2 defeat at Philadelphia in his last outing on August 9.

The 26-year-old Delaware native was touched for eight hits and three runs over six innings in that outing, marking the eighth time in 10 starts that he's allowed at least three earned runs.

His previous victory came July 28 against Colorado and the last one before that was back on June 11 against Washington.

Snell is 3-5 in nine lifetime starts against Cincinnati with a 5.87 earned run average in 53 2/3 innings.

For the Reds, rookie Johnny Cueto is 0-3 in six starts since a modest two- start win streak in late June and early July.

He got a no-decision against Houston on August 8, but was beaten in two straight starts prior while allowing 15 hits and eight earned runs in 12 innings.

His last victory came July 3 against Washington, when he allowed seven hits and three runs in seven innings.

Cueto, who is 2-8 on the road, has split a pair of meetings with the Pirates while combining to surrender 14 hits and seven earned runs in 11 innings.

On Wednesday, Jason Michaels belted a two-run homer to lift the Pirates over the Reds.

Brandon Moss also homered and Paul Maholm tossed eight strong innings for the Pirates, who have won two of their last three games.

Maholm (8-7) only yielded two runs on seven hits and no walks. The lefty also struck out five en route to improving his home record to 6-1 this season.

Corey Patterson and Jay Bruce knocked the ball out of the park for the Reds, who have dropped seven of their last eight.

Josh Fogg (2-5) continued to struggle, winning just once in seven starts since returning to the rotation after early season bouts with ineffectiveness and injury.

The 31-year-old was tagged for four runs on six hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings.

Pittsburgh is 7-4 versus the Reds this season and swept a three-game series at PNC Park from April 11 - 13.