Pittsburgh @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 6, 2015 ) Pittsburgh 4, Atlanta 5

Gerrit Cole showed plenty of promise in his first two seasons, and the Pittsburgh Pirates’ hurler is establishing himself as one of baseball’s best in 2015. Cole aims for his major league-leading ninth victory Sunday as the Pirates conclude a three-game series against the host Atlanta Braves.

Gregory Polanco collected three hits in Saturday’s 5-4 loss – just the Pirates’ third defeat in their last 15 contests – to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. Atlanta's Christian Bethancourt is hitting .310 over his last nine games, raising his average from .153 to .205, and won Saturday’s matchup as he led off the ninth inning with his first career homer. Freddie Freeman of the Braves brings a nine-game hitting streak into the series finale, batting .394 with five homers and 11 RBIs during the run. Atlanta expects second baseman Jace Peterson to return to the lineup Sunday after he missed the previous two games with a left hand injury.

TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), SportSouth (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Gerrit Cole (8-2, 1.90 ERA) vs. Braves LH Alex Wood (4-2, 3.19)

The 24-year-old Cole is on his way to his first All-Star Game appearance, winning National League Pitcher of the Month honors for April and bringing a three-start winning streak into Sunday. Cole is 4-1 in his last five outings, not allowing more than two earned runs in any start during that stretch while striking out 40 against six walks and posting a 1.53 ERA. Cole beat San Francisco on Monday, striking out nine while giving up two runs and five hits in seven innings.

Wood also has won his last three starts, yielding a total of only four earned runs in 22 innings while recording 11 strikeouts. The 24-year-old beat Arizona on Monday, allowing one run on seven hits in a season-high eight innings. Wood has been brilliant on the road, going 4-0 with a 2.15 ERA in seven starts, but is 0-2 with a 6.19 ERA and a .338 opponents’ batting average in three home outings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Wood gave up 16 homers in 171 2/3 innings last season but has surrendered just two in 62 frames this year, and his 0.29 homers per nine innings leads NL starters.

2. The Pirates are 1-7 when tied after eight innings.

3. Atlanta CF Cameron Maybin stole his ninth base Saturday after recording only four steals in both 2013 and 2014.

PREDICTION: Pirates 4, Braves 1