Pirates at Nationals
Bryce Harper continues to be limited as he works his way back from an extended absence, but Ryan Zimmerman's ability to turn back the clock this season has the Washington Nationals on the brink of making history. Already boasting a career-high 36 homers after hitting two more Friday, the two-time All-Star first baseman takes aim at his personal-best RBI mark Saturday when the Nationals play the third of four games at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Washington manager Dusty Baker limited Harper to seven innings in Friday's 6-1 victory and the 2015 National League MVP, who has yet to play a full game since his return to action Tuesday, is showing the effects of his 41-game layoff while going 1-for-10 in three contests. While Harper will not start Saturday and likely won't do so before the playoffs according to Baker, Zimmerman is doing his best to carry the offense and did so Friday when he went 4-for-4 - all extra-base hits - and drove in four runs to bring his season total to 107 - three shy of his career high. The triumph also put the Nationals (97-63) within one win of matching the 2012 team for the best mark in club history. Starling Marte posted his fifth consecutive two-hit game for Pittsburgh, which has dropped seven in a row on the road to fall to 29-50 away from home.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, AT&T Sportsnet Pittsburgh, MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Jameson Taillon (8-7, 4.62 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Max Scherzer (16-6, 2.55)
Taillon notched his first victory in seven tries since Aug. 11 in Sunday's win against St. Louis, yielding one run on a solo shot among the four hits he allowed over five innings. The second overall pick in the 2010 draft has failed to pitch more than five innings six times in his last seven outings, and he is 3-5 with a 6.47 ERA in 13 turns since the All-Star break. Taillon's only start versus the Nationals came as a rookie last year when he permitted three runs across five frames in a no-decision.
Scherzer won for the eighth time in his last nine decisions Sunday at the New York Mets, giving up only one run on a solo homer and three hits while fanning 10 over six innings. The five-time All-Star has struck out at least 10 in 15 of his 30 outings this season and ranks second in the majors with a NL-best 263. Marte is 4-for-12 and Andrew McCutchen is 4-for-23 with a homer and 12 strikeouts versus Scherzer, who is 4-2 with a 2.89 ERA in 10 games (nine starts) against the Pirates.
WALK-OFFS
1. Nationals 2B Daniel Murphy is 9-for-19 with four RBIs during a five-game hitting streak.
2. Marte is batting .472 during his 10-game hitting streak, one shy of SS Jordy Mercer for the longest such run by a Pirate this season.
3. Despite going 0-for-3 on Friday, Washington OF Michael Taylor is batting .329 with nine extra-base hits (five homers), 13 RBIs, four walks, five steals and eight runs scored over his last 20 games.