Pittsburgh @ San Diego preview

Last Meeting ( May 29, 2015 ) Pittsburgh 2, San Diego 6

Matt Kemp was the highest-profile acquisition during a busy offseason for the San Diego Padres, but catcher Derek Norris is proving to be the most productive. Norris heads into Saturday’s matchup against visiting Pittsburgh on a high note following Friday's walk-off grand slam that gave the Padres a 6-2 victory and snapped the Pirates’ seven-game win streak.

While Norris is hitting .278 with four homers and 32 RBI, Kemp saw his average fall to .244 after going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Friday’s win. The cleanup hitter has slugged just one home run and can only hope to duplicate his efforts from last year, when he bounced back from a slow start by hitting .305 with 20 home runs in his final 104 games. Pittsburgh third baseman Josh Harrison received a day off Friday, but that might be the only way to cool off the 2014 All-Star, who is hitting .439 with eight RBI in his last 13 games. Center fielder Andrew McCutchen has also heated up this month with a .320 batting average and five homers after hitting .194 in April.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), FSN San Diego

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Charlie Morton (1-0, 2.57 ERA) vs. Padres RH Tyson Ross (2-4, 3.84)

Morton made a successful return from offseason hip surgery last Monday as he held Miami to two runs while throwing 87 pitches over seven frames in his season debut. “That was the best I’ve felt in a while,” he told reporters. “Even last year, the second half of last year, it was a struggle mechanically.” The 31-year-old is 3-1 with a 2.97 ERA in five career starts against San Diego.

Ross received a no-decision after allowing three runs (two earned) on a season-high 10 hits over six innings against the Angels last Monday. The 28-year-old has not yielded more than three runs in nine of his 10 starts. Ross, who has recorded 69 strikeouts but issued 30 walks in 58 2/3 innings, owns a 1-1 record and 3.72 ERA in three career starts against the Pirates.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Padres are 17-6 when scoring first.

2. Pirates starting pitchers have gone 7-0 with a 2.15 ERA in their last nine games.

3. San Diego 1B Yonder Alonso (shoulder) is on a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso this weekend and could rejoin the Padres as soon as Monday.

PREDICTION: Pirates 5, Padres 4