Arizona @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 16, 2013 ) Arizona 2, Pittsburgh 6

Familiar surroundings provided a lift for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who will carry a six-game home winning streak into Saturday afternoon's matchup with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Pirates stumbled through a 1-5 road trip but quickly rebounded to equal their longest home winning streak of the season and extend their lead to three games in the National League Central. Pirates left fielder Starling Marte has hit safely in all eight career games against Arizona and is batting .438 against them.

The Diamondbacks dropped 8 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West and are in the midst of a critical 10-game road stretch that includes four meetings with Cincinnati, which holds a six-game lead over Arizona for the second wild card spot. The Diamondbacks have lost seven of 10 away from home since the All-Star break and scored more than three runs only twice in that stretch. Martin Prado had two hits in the series opener and has 10 RBIs in the last nine games.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Trevor Cahill (3-10, 4.66 ERA) vs. Pirates LH Jeff Locke (9-3, 2.43)

Cahill (hip) comes off the disabled list to make his first start since June 30, when he served up three homers and was pounded for six runs in 4 1/3 innings at Atlanta. It was the sixth consecutive defeat for Cahill, who was 0-6 with a 7.92 ERA during an eight-start winless drought. He lost to Pittsburgh in his second start of the season, giving up four runs and four hits in five innings.

Locke is winless in his last four starts and has not factored in the decision in his last three outings. He allowed two runs - one earned - on three hits in 5 2/3 innings at Colorado in his last turn, but continued to struggle with his control with four walks. Locke has surrendered three runs or fewer in 16 of his last 17 starts and has yielded only three home runs during that span.

WALK-OFFS

1. Pirates CF Andrew McCutchen has collected two hits in nine of his last 13 games.

2. Diamondbacks RHP J.J. Putz served up a two-run homer Friday, ending a streak of 14 straight scoreless appearances.

3. Locke has permitted four hits or fewer in 14 of his 23 starts.

PREDICTION: Pirates 5, Diamondbacks 3