Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 13, 2013 ) Cincinnati 1, Pittsburgh 3

The Pittsburgh Pirates don't hit much, but as long as they keep doing it at the right time good things will happen. The Pirates will go for a three-game sweep when they host the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. The Pirates, who have won four of their last five games, scored all their runs in Saturday's 3-1 victory with two outs. The Reds expect to get Brandon Phillips back in the lineup Sunday after the second baseman missed Saturday's game to attend to a family emergency.

The Reds have scored seven runs during their four-game losing streak, but a bigger problem could be the health of ace Johnny Cueto, who left Saturday's game in the fifth inning after suffering a triceps injury in his right pitching arm. Cincinnati sends Mat Latos to the mound Sunday. He is 4-0 with a 2.11 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in six career starts against Pittsburgh. Latos opposes Phil Irwin, who will make his major-league debut.

TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Ohio (Cincinnati), ROOT Sports (Pittsburgh)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Mat Latos (0-0, 2.84 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Phil Irwin (NR)

Cincinnati won both Latos' starts this season. The 25-year-old Alexandria, Va., native allowed four runs (one earned) and four hits in six innings in the Reds' 13-4 victory at St. Louis on Monday. Latos is 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. He struck out 11 while yielding two hits in six scoreless frames in his last appearance there, a 5-0 victory May 6. The Pirates' roster is hitting .180 against Latos, but Andrew McCutchen is 2-for-6 with a homer and three walks.

Wandy Rodriguez was scheduled to pitch for Pittsburgh, but cannot go because of a strained left hamstring. He said he would miss only one start. Irwin was sharp in his first outing of the season for Triple-A Indianapolis, allowing one run and four hits while striking out five in six innings against Toledo on Monday. The 26-year-old Germantown, Tenn., native was a 21st-round selection by the Pirates in the 2009 draft and is 29-16 with a 3.00 ERA in his minor-league career.

WALK-OFFS

1. Reds 1B Joey Votto, who leads the majors with 17 walks, hasn't homered in his last 221 plate appearances.

2. Pirates leadoff hitter Starling Marte, who has a team-best .341 batting average, had his streak of recording a hit in his first at-bat end at six games Saturday.

3. Cincinnati CF Shin-Soo Choo and Votto have reached base in all 11 games.

PREDICTION: Reds 3, Pirates 2