Reds at Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are motoring in the opposite direction of National League Central rival Cincinnati and will look to stretch their winning streak to seven games in Sunday's series finale against the visiting Reds. Pittsburgh improved to 8-1 over the past nine contests after outscoring the Reds 9-2 in the first two games of the series.
Sean Rodriguez clubbed a two-run homer in Saturday's 5-1 victory, giving him four blasts in only 30 at-bats to match his season total from 2015. The Pirates have scored 45 runs during the six-game winning streak to tie a club record for wins in April with 15. Center fielder Billy Hamilton collected three hits to push his batting average above .200 for the first time this season for the Reds, who have dropped six in a row and eight of nine. Cincinnati, which is an NL-worst 1-10 on the road, sends Raisel Iglesias to the mound to oppose Jeff Locke in Sunday's finale.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), ROOT (Pittsburgh)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Raisel Iglesias (1-1, 3.49 ERA) vs. Pirates LH Jeff Locke (1-2, 5.03)
Iglesias has yet to allow more than three runs in any of his five starts, but his only victory came against the Pirates on April 9, when he gave up one run on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. The 26-year-old Cuban is 0-1 in his last three trips to the mound, settling for a no-decision after giving up three runs in five innings at the New York Mets last time out. Iglesias split a pair of decisions versus Pittsburgh a year ago.
Locke bounced back from a wretched start with a stellar performance in his last turn, registering a season-high eight strikeouts over six scoreless innings at Colorado on Monday. The 28-year-old New Hampshire native lasted three-plus innings at San Diego in his previous outing and was shelled for eight runs and 11 hits. Eugenio Suarez is 5-for-9 with a homer against Locke, who is 3-3 with a 3.14 ERA in 12 stars versus the Reds.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pirates C Francisco Cervelli is 6-for-15 over his last four games.
2. Reds LF Adam Duvall is in a 2-for-18 rut with 10 strikeouts.
3. The Pirates activated RHP Jared Hughes off the disabled list Saturday and optioned Rob Scahill to Triple-A Indianapolis.