Nationals at Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates hope their new-found offense carries with them after enjoying a rare day off on the heels of playing in 17 consecutive days. After mustering just 13 runs during a season-high six-game losing skid, the Pirates have erupted for 10 en route to winning back-to-back contests heading into the opener of a three-game series versus the visiting Washington Nationals on Tuesday.
Josh Bell belted his team-leading seventh homer in Sunday's 6-4 victory in 10 innings over Arizona, accounting for the second time he's gone deep to go along with four RBIs in his last three contests on the heels of an 0-for-14 stretch in his previous five games. Andrew McCutchen also homered and is batting .250 at home as opposed to .212 overall, but the 2013 National League MVP has struggled mightily in his career (.188) versus Tuesday starter Stephen Strasburg. Speaking of NL MVPs, 2015 recipient Bryce Harper is off to a blistering start to the season and has new one-year, $21.625 million contract extension in his back pocket. The 24-year-old, who is 8-for-17 with two homers and five RBIs during his four-game hitting streak, is batting a staggering .434 with six homers and 16 RBIs on the road this season.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), ROOT (Pittsburgh)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (3-1, 3.28 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Chad Kuhl (1-3, 5.81)
Strasburg allowed season highs in runs (five) and hits (eight) over six innings, but struck out nine to walk away with a no-decision against Baltimore on Wednesday. The 28-year-old has fared well versus Pittsburgh ever since making his memorable major-league debut, posting a 3-2 mark with a 2.51 ERA and 60 strikeouts in six starts (43 innings). Strasburg handcuffed the Pirates in their last encounter on July 15, to the tune of one run allowed on three hits over eight innings in a 5-1 triumph.
Kuhl fell to 0-3 in his last six outings on Wednesday after allowing four runs on six hits in five innings of a 5-2 setback at the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 24-year-old sputtered out of the blocks by surrendering a two-run homer to Cody Bellinger and later said that it was "a shame what happened in the first inning. It's just unacceptable." Kuhl will look to rebound against a Washington team that he held to just one hit over six scoreless innings on July 17.
WALK-OFFS
1. Washington 2B Daniel Murphy is 3-for-19 in his last six games.
2. Pittsburgh RF Jose Osuna was hitless in his previous 12 at-bats before belting a two-run homer in the 10th inning against the Diamondbacks on Sunday.
3. Nationals SS Trea Turner has two homers and five RBIs during a three-game stretch and has scored a run in each of his last four.