Washington @ Pittsburgh preview
PNC Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 3, 2010 ) Washington 5, Pittsburgh 8
The Pittsburgh Pirates may not be a great team at home, but they're a much better one than on the road. The Washington Nationals are finding that out the hard way.
The Pirates try for their fourth straight home win on Saturday when they host the Nationals in the middle contest of their three-game series at PNC Park.
Pittsburgh, which owns the worst road record in the major leagues at 14-53, has lost 15 of its last 16 games away from home - including five of six on its most recent trek. Back in familiar surroundings, the Pirates took out their frustrations on the Nationals on Friday, erupting for eight runs en route to their third home win in a row.
Ryan Doumit went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, Garrett Jones doubled twice and drove in three runs and rookie Pedro Alvarez added a two-run double. After starter Zach Duke surrendered four runs in five-plus innings, six relievers combined to yield just one run and three hits over the final four frames to secure Pittsburgh's fourth win in five home games.
The Pirates attempt to extend their winning streak at PNC Park behind Paul Maholm, who has had his share of troubles lately.
Maholm has lost each of his last four decisions and six of his last seven. On Monday, the left-hander was battered for eight runs and nine hits over just 3 1/3 innings in a 14-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Facing the Nationals for the first time this season, Maholm enters with a career record of 0-3 with a 5.30 ERA in six starts against Washington. In 2009, he went 0-1 with a 3.65 ERA in two outings vs. the Nationals.
Maholm, who is 5-8 with a 5.44 ERA in 14 starts at home this year, has kept Adam Dunn under control throughout his career. Washington's slugger is just 3-for-28 (.107) against the 28-year-old, striking out 12 times and failing to record either a home run or RBI.
The Nationals, who have lost three in a row overall and nine of 12 on the road, will counter with John Lannan.
Lannan has pitched well of late, winning four of his last five starts. He led Washington to a 4-2 triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, allowing one run and eight hits over 7 2/3 innings.
The left-hander has yet to post a victory over Pittsburgh, however, going 0-3 with a 5.53 ERA in five career outings. On June 9, Lannan yielded five runs - four earned - and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings but settled for a no-decision in a 7-5 win over the Pirates.
The 25-year-old Lannan has made 10 starts on the road thus far this season, going 4-3 with a 5.01 ERA.
Washington will be playing without manager Jim Riggleman, who on Friday began serving the two-game suspension he received as a result of the Nationals' benches-clearing brawl against Florida on Wednesday. Bench coach John McLaren is filling in until Riggleman returns on Sunday.
Also receiving suspensions were coach Pat Listach (three games), reliever Doug Slaten (three) and instigator Nyjer Morgan (eight), who still is awaiting the decision on his appeal of a seven-game ban for an unrelated incident. Morgan and Slaten are appealing these suspensions, while Listach will begin serving his on Sunday.