Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 21, 2018 ) Pittsburgh 6, Cincinnati 2

Corey Dickerson has enjoyed his time swinging the bat at Great American Ball Park and looks to finish off another big series there when his Pittsburgh Pirates try to extend their season-high winning streak to nine Sunday against the host Cincinnati Reds. Dickerson belted a pair of homers in Saturday’s 6-2 triumph to improve to 14-for-33 with five blasts in eight career games at the Reds’ home park.

While Dickerson has strung together three straight two-hit contests overall with four homers, Pittsburgh’s center fielder Starling Marte is riding a career-best 14-game hitting streak in which he is 22-for-59 with 14 RBIs. The Pirates will send Ivan Nova to the mound as they go for the three-game sweep and their ninth win in 13 contests against the Reds this year, while rejuvenated right-hander Matt Harvey gets the start for Cincinnati. The Reds have dropped three straight, allowing 24 runs in the process, after winning four of five and are 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position in the first two games of the series. Outfielder Jesse Winker is 21-for-42 with 10 RBIs during a 12-game hitting streak for Cincinnati and has multiple hits in seven contests during July, hitting .489 this month.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, FS Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Ivan Nova (5-6, 4.38 ERA) vs. Reds RH Matt Harvey (5-5, 4.63)

Nova could not get through five innings with a lead last Saturday against Milwaukee to get a second win in as many starts but allowed one run on seven hits over 4 2/3 frames. The 31-year-old Dominican ended June with three straight quality starts, yielding four runs over 20 innings combined, but is 1-1 with a 6.46 ERA over three outings in July. Winker is 5-for-9 with two homers versus Nova, who is 4-7 with a 4.39 ERA in 11 career appearances against the Reds.

Harvey has turned his season around while going 4-0 over five starts, posting a 1.86 ERA in that stretch, but has yet to complete seven innings in a game this year. The 29-year-old Connecticut native, who has not served up a homer in six straight starts, limited St. Louis to one run on four hits across five innings in a 9-1 triumph on July 13. Josh Bell is 4-for-10 with a homer against Harvey, who is 2-2 with a 4.85 ERA versus the Pirates.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cincinnati SS Jose Peraza is 15-for-27 with five RBIs during a seven-game hitting streak to raise his batting average to .293.

2. Bell had four hits Saturday and is 11-for-22 with three doubles and eight runs scored over his last seven contests.

3. Reds 1B Joey Votto needs one more intentional walk to pass Johnny Bench (135) for the franchise record.

PREDICTION: Pirates 4, Reds 3