Pirates at Nationals
Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker is liberally resting his stars in a bid to keep his team as healthy as possible as it awaits postseason play, and that includes the recently returned Bryce Harper. The 2015 National League MVP looks to draw back into the lineup on Friday as the Nationals host the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second contest of their four-game series.
"Nothing. Don't be alarmed. Nothing. Again ... nothing," Baker said in response to reporters asking if something was wrong with Harper, who missed 1 1/2 months with a knee injury before returning to action on Tuesday. Baker also noted that he wants the 24-year-old "to get sharp" before the Nationals face the reigning World Series champion Chicago Cubs in the NL Division Series. Daniel Murphy had three singles in Thursday's 5-4 win to improve to 7-for-15 with a homer, three RBIs and as many runs scored over the last four games for Washington, which has won four of six. Pittsburgh's Josh Bell went deep for the second time in as many games with a two-run homer in the ninth inning on Thursday, giving him six hits and six RBIs in his last three contests.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh, MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Gerrit Cole (12-11, 4.23 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (14-4, 2.63)
Cole picked up his first win since Aug. 26 on Saturday, albeit in less-than-stellar fashion. The 27-year-old surrendered five runs and seven hits for the second time in three outings in an 11-6 triumph over St. Louis. Cole has yielded 14 runs in last three starts (16 2/3 innings) and looks to regain the form that saw him allow one run on three hits in a 6-1 rout of Washington on May 17.
Strasburg saw his four-start winning streak stalled as he settled for a no-decision in Saturday's game against the New York Mets. The 29-year-old allowed three runs in that contest after tossing five straight outings (35 innings) in which he did not surrender an earned run. Strasburg picked up the win versus Pittsburgh on May 16 after permitting three runs in six innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Starling Marte is riding a nine-game hitting streak, with multi-hit performances in each of his last four.
2. Washington (96-63) can set a franchise record in victories if it wins the final three games of the series.
3. Pittsburgh OF Andrew McCutchen has two homers, eight RBIs and seven runs scored during his five-game hitting streak.