Pittsburgh @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 29, 2015 ) Pittsburgh 4, Atlanta 2

The surging Pittsburgh Pirates look for their fourth straight victory when they visit the Atlanta Braves in the opener of a three-game series Friday. The Pirates are winners of 11 of their last 13 games as they scratch to keep the St. Louis Cardinals within shouting distance in the National League Central.

Pittsburgh split four games in San Diego to open its 10-game trip but picked it up by sweeping the defending champion San Francisco Giants – coming from behind in each of the three games - before heading across the country. "We played a very good ballclub and they were able to get ahead of us three days in a row," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle told reporters, “but we were able to scratch back and play a little better than them.” The Braves have had a little trouble holding onto their own leads of late and squandered a six-run lead in a 9-8 loss at Arizona on Wednesday. "We need to fix that," Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez told reporters. "We need to figure out a way - I need to figure out a way, a combination - to get the ball to (closer Jason) Grilli's hands somehow. It's tough losing games like that.”

TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), FSN South (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Charlie Morton (2-0, 1.93 ERA) vs. Braves RH Williams Perez (1-0, 2.66)

Morton had his sinkerball working in two starts since being activated from the disabled list, generating a total of 36 groundballs over 14 innings. The 31-year-old scattered three hits at San Diego on Saturday to pick up his second win. Morton, who was drafted and developed by Atlanta, is still looking for his first win against his original franchise and owns a 0-2 record with a 2.57 ERA in three starts against the Braves.

Perez earned his first major-league win at San Francisco on Saturday, yielding four hits and walking four in seven scoreless innings. The Venezuela native has yet to allow more than one run in three starts since moving to the rotation. Perez struck out seven and walked one while surrendering one run over five innings against Tampa Bay in his lone home start May 20.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Braves’ bullpen surrendered 22 runs in 22 innings during a 4-6 road trip.

2. Pittsburgh closer Mark Melancon has not issued a walk in any of his last nine appearances.

3. Atlanta 1B Freddie Freeman is 7-for-15 with four home runs, eight RBIs and seven runs scored in the last four games.

PREDICTION: Pirates 4, Braves 3