Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 17, 2016 ) Pittsburgh 7, Cincinnati 3

The Pittsburgh Pirates seemed to throw in the towel last week when they shut down ace Gerrit Cole during a lengthy solid, but a solid run of late is keeping postseason hope at a low simmer. The Pirates will try to wrap up a four-game sweep and earn their fifth straight win when they visit the Cincinnati Reds for the series finale on Sunday.

Pittsburgh averaged 3.5 runs in dropping 13 of 16 games to fall four under .500 but has totaled 41 runs in winning the last four. Sean Rodriguez homered in both ends of a doubleheader sweep on Saturday as the Pirates stayed five games out in the race for the second National League wild card with 14 contests left in the regular season and four remaining on an 11-game road trip. The Reds tried to play spoiler by taking three of four at Pittsburgh last weekend but is having trouble finding the same result at home. Cincinnati is just trying to get its young pitching staff to the finish line healthy and has allowed a total of 33 runs during a four-game slide.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Ivan Nova (12-6, 4.03 ERA) vs. Reds RH Dan Straily (12-8, 3.81)

Nova has been a consistent bright spot since coming over from the New York Yankees at the trade deadline and recorded his fifth straight start allowing two or fewer earned runs while striking out 11 over six innings at Philadelphia on Tuesday. The Dominican Republic native has issued only three walks in 52 1/3 innings with Pittsburgh. One of Nova's best starts with the Pirates came against Cincinnati on Sept. 8, when he allowed one run in a complete-game win.

Straily, 27, is the veteran in the Reds rotation and did not show much fatigue at the end of the long season when he held Milwaukee to two runs and three hits in eight innings to earn a win on Tuesday. The California native allowed three earned runs or fewer in 13 of his last 14 starts. Straily went up against Nova on Sept. 8 and absorbed a loss while surrendering three runs in five innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Reds pitching staff has allowed 238 home runs, one short of tying the NL record (2001 Colorado Rockies)

2. Pirates LF Starling Marte (back) sat out both games on Saturday and is day-to-day.

3. Cincinnati SS Zack Cozart (knee) has missed seven straight games and remains day-to-day.

PREDICTION: Pirates 5, Reds 3