Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 10, 2016 ) Cincinnati 8, Pittsburgh 7

A fourth consecutive trip to the postseason is looking like less and less of a possibility for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates will try to keep hope alive and avoid a fourth straight series loss when they host the Cincinnati Reds in the finale of a four-game set on Sunday.

Pittsburgh has dropped 10 of 12 after suffering back-to-back one-run losses to the Reds this weekend and has fallen 5 1/2 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the second National League wild card. The Pirates' bullpen has let the team down several times over the last two weeks, and Trevor Williams earned the loss in relief on Saturday while Juan Nicasio gave up Joey Votto's home run in the ninth inning that helped leave the team two games under .500. The Reds, who took two of three from the Cardinals last weekend, are doing their best to inject themselves into the race and will host Pittsburgh in another four-game series starting Friday. Cincinnati is just 25-45 on the road but has already secured at least a .500 road trip, which just features the four-game stop in Pittsburgh.

TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds LH Brandon Finnegan (8-10, 4.17 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Ryan Vogelsong (3-4, 4.07)

Finnegan is winless in his last three starts despite allowing two runs in each contest. The 23-year-old Texan is not getting a lot of run support but also struggles to work deep into games on occasion and was forced out after five innings on Tuesday against the New York Mets while issuing four walks and running up a high pitch count. Finnegan won his lone career start against the Pirates, yielding one run on three hits and two walks in six innings in his final outing of the 2015 campaign.

Volegsong is having his own problems getting deep into games and failed to complete six innings in any of his last three outings. The veteran was rocked for five runs on six hits - two home runs - in four innings against St. Louis on Tuesday but did not factor in the decision. Vogelsong made three appearances out of the bullpen against Cincinnati earlier this season and allowed a total of two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Votto is 7-for-9 in the last two games and is batting .406 since Aug. 1.

2. Pirates 3B Jung Ho Kang is 10-for-20 with four home runs and 10 RBIs since coming off the disabled list on Monday.

3. Pittsburgh 2B Josh Harrison is 6-for-12 in the series and has hit safely in 10 straight games but is day-to-day after leaving Saturday's contest with a groin strain.

PREDICTION: Reds 6, Pirates 3