Pittsburgh @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 19, 2015 ) Pittsburgh 1, Washington 4

The Pittsburgh Pirates may have been holding all the cards during their blistering run in June, but the Washington Nationals proved to still have their number in the teams' first meeting of the season. After stringing together 14 hits in a 4-1 triumph in the series opener, Washington looks to record its sixth straight victory over Pittsburgh when the clubs continue their three-game set at Nationals Park on Saturday.

Wilson Ramos drove in a pair of runs on Friday and is 8-for-24 with three homers and nine RBIs in the last six contests. Ramos' offensive contributions certainly have been welcome with superstar Bryce Harper sitting out the series opener and considered day-to-day with a mild hamstring strain. Washington saw its four-game slide at home come to a halt while ending Pittsburgh's season-high eight-game winning streak with the club's fourth loss in 17 outings. The Pirates' task on Saturday will be all the more difficult as they face right-hander Max Scherzer, who flirted with a perfect game in his last outing before settling for a one-hit, 16-strikeout gem against Milwaukee on Sunday.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), MASN2 (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Francisco Liriano (4-5, 2.94 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Max Scherzer (7-5, 1.93)

Liriano authored his best outing of the season on Monday, scattering two hits over eight innings while matching a campaign best with 12 strikeouts in an 11-0 triumph over the Chicago White Sox. The 31-year-old Dominican has recorded double digits in strikeouts on four occasions this season - with three such outings in his last five trips to the mound. As one might expect, Liriano has dominated in that stretch (3-1, 1.29 ERA) and has yielded just seven earned runs in 41 1/3 innings pitched on the road.

Scherzer's brilliant outing versus the Brewers ended a modest two-game skid and gave the celebrated offseason acquisition six victories in his last eight starts. Scherzer improved to 3-2 with a 3.05 ERA in his career against Pittsburgh after scattering three hits and striking out 14 over eight scoreless innings while with Detroit last August. Josh Harrison is 17-for-39 during his nine-game hitting streak, but is 0-for-8 in his career versus Scherzer.

WALK-OFFS

1. Pittsburgh CF Andrew McCutchen saw his six-game hitting streak halted after an 0-for-4 performance (three strikeouts) in the series opener.

2. Washington SS Ian Desmond sat out on Friday as he is mired in a 4-for-36 stretch with 16 strikeouts.

3. Pirates RF Gregory Polanco's availability for Saturday's tilt is in question after he collided into the wall while chasing a fly ball in the seventh inning during the series opener.

PREDICTION: Nationals 2, Pirates 1