Padres at Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been no better than one game over .500 at any point this season and stand three games below the break-even mark entering their 110th contest, yet they find themselves very much in the thick of the National League Central. After a huge late offensive explosion in the opener, the host Pirates eye a third straight victory overall Saturday when they continue a three-game set against the San Diego Padres.
Pinch-hitter Gregory Polanco clubbed a go-ahead, three-run homer to spark a six-run seventh inning in Friday's 10-6 victory, giving Pittsburgh back-to-back wins for the first time since concluding a season-best six-game winning streak on July 21. The Pirates (53-56), who are only 4-8 since then and 9 1/2 games behind Colorado in the NL wild-card race, crawled back to within 4 1/2 games of the division-leading Chicago Cubs following Friday's result. The Padres took two of three between the teams last weekend in San Diego, but their loss in the series opener was their sixth setback in their last seven games in Pittsburgh. Manuel Margot remained locked in at the plate for the Padres with a 2-for-5 effort Friday - including a solo homer - and is batting .425 with four home runs over his last 10 contests.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN San Diego, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Dinelson Lamet (5-4, 5.62 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Gerrit Cole (9-7, 3.97)
Lamet was masterful in last Saturday's win against Pittsburgh, beginning his outing with four no-hit innings before coming out after six-plus frames upon allowing two runs on two hits while striking out seven. The 25-year-old rookie also won his previous turn at San Francisco six days earlier after opening July by surrendering a total of 12 runs (10 earned) over eight innings. Starling Marte struck out all three times last weekend when he faced Lamet, who is holding right-handers to a .155 average.
Cole won his third straight decision and improved to 6-1 since June 13 with Sunday's win at San Diego, yielding only a solo homer among the five hits he permitted in seven frames. The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his last nine outings and finished July with a 2.25 ERA after posting a 6.17 mark in June. Cole has mostly dominated the Padres in five career starts against them, going 4-1 with a 1.47 ERA - his lowest against any NL foe.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Pirates have won each of their last 14 games when scoring at least four runs and won 20 of their past 22 such contests.
2. San Diego 1B Wil Myers is mired in an 8-for-55 slump with 17 strikeouts over his last 15 games.
3. Pittsburgh 2B Josh Harrison (leg) returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Sunday and went 3-for-5 with three RBIs in the opener.