Pittsburgh @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( May 17, 2014 ) Pittsburgh 1, NY Yankees 7

After seeing their pitching staff battered for 33 runs during a four-game losing streak, the New York Yankees have rebounded to allow one run during a three-game winning streak. Two of those victories have come with New York starters failing to get past five innings, which could put a strain on the bullpen with a doubleheader on tap against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. The Yankees do have history in their favor, winning all seven regular-season meetings versus the Pirates.

Rain washed out the series opener but New York came out swinging Saturday, cranking out a season high-tying five homers in a 7-1 drubbing - the fourth loss in five games for Pittsburgh. The Yankees will get a glimpse what might have been in the nightcap when they face Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole, who was drafted by New York out of high school. Cole elected to go to UCLA rather than sign and wound up being the No. 1 overall pick of Pittsburgh in the 2011 draft.
TV: 4:35 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pirates), YES (Yankees)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Gerrit Cole (3-3, 3.76 ERA) vs. Yankees LH Vidal Nuño (1-1, 6.43)

Cole failed to get through six innings for the second time in eight starts last time out, permitting three runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings in a loss at Milwaukee. Cole has only one win in his last six starts, beating San Francisco with eight innings of three-run ball on May 7. The 23-year-old power pitcher is still seeking to match the consistency from his final five starts of 2013, when he went gave up only six runs.

Nuno appeared to be turning a corner when he limited the Los Angeles Angels to one run on four hits over a season-high 6 1/3 innings on May 7, but he failed to carry it over to his next start. Nuno was tagged for seven runs (five earned) and yielded a season-high four walks in a 12-7 loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday. He has struggled mightily at Yankee Stadium with a bloated 10.91 ERA in four appearances (three starts).

WALK-OFFS

1. The Yankees have won 19 in a row when holding an opponent to three runs or fewer.

2. Pirates CF and reigning NL MVP Andrew McCutchen is 6-for-27 with zero extra-base hits in his last eight games.

3. Yankees captain Derek Jeter became the fifth player in major-league history to collect 2,500 singles.

PREDICTION: Pirates 5, Yankees 3