Washington @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( May 24, 2014 ) Washington 2, Pittsburgh 3

When the Washington Nationals send offseason acquisition Doug Fister to the mound Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, they need him to be the dominant pitcher they paid him to be. The Nationals have scored only seven runs during their four-game losing streak, so they might need a lights-out performance from Fister to avoid a four-game road sweep. The Pirates have matched a season high with four straight wins.

After recording a career-high 16 wins a year ago, Pittsburgh's Francisco Liriano still is looking for his first of 2014. Perhaps he can get it against Washington, a team he dominated to the tune of two hits and eight strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings in a win last July. The Nationals haven't been able to come up with timely hits lately, going 2-for-27 with runners in scoring position and leaving 35 men on base during their four-game skid.

TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, MASN, WUSA 9 (Washington), ROOT (Pittsburgh)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Doug Fister (1-1, 3.93 ERA) vs. Pirates LH Francisco Liriano (0-4, 4.86)

Fister was knocked around in his Nationals debut at Oakland, but he has been outstanding in two starts since. The 6-8 hurler has allowed only three runs over 14 innings in his last two outings and earned his first win for Washington on Tuesday against Cincinnati. Fister is 0-1 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts against Pittsburgh, striking out 12 over seven scoreless innings in a meeting last season without factoring in the decision.

Liriano has pitched well enough to win in several of his 10 starts, but his last outing wasn't one of them. The 30-year-old was tagged for six runs and nine hits over five innings in a 9-2 loss to Baltimore, running his winless streak to 13 starts dating to last season. Current Washington players are a combined 4-for-29 with eight strikeouts against Liriano.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Nationals are 4-24 when scoring three or fewer runs, which they've done in four straight games.

2. Pirates 1B Ike Davis has reached base in 19 of his last 20 games.

3. Nationals 1B Adam LaRoche will be activated from the disabled list Sunday and INF Zack Walters will be optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.

PREDICTION: Nationals 4, Pirates 3