Pittsburgh @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 20, 2015 ) Pittsburgh 0, Washington 6

While admittedly not perfect, Bryce Harper wasn't too far removed as he homered and drove in a pair of runs in his return from a strained left hamstring. Harper, who was only upstaged by Max Scherzer's quest for perfection and eventual first career no-hitter, looks to continue his torrid run as the Washington Nationals attempt to complete a three-game sweep of the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon.

Harper is 16-for-35 with nine RBIs and seven runs scored in his last 10 games for the Nationals, who have won six in a row over the Pirates dating to last season. Denard Span has also been brilliant in his last 10 contests, going 16-for-43 in that stretch and is 3-for-8 in his career versus Sunday starter Charlie Morton. Pittsburgh had won eight straight and 13 of 16 before Friday's 4-1 loss in the series opener, and the team has mustered three runs or fewer in 11 of its last 13 games. Jose Tabata, who was hit by a pitch with two outs in the ninth to end Scherzer's quest for perfection in Saturday's 6-0 setback, is 0-for-5 in his career against Sunday starter Gio Gonzalez.

TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), MASN2 (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Charlie Morton (5-0, 1.62 ERA) vs. Nationals LH Gio Gonzalez (4-4, 4.82)

Morton kept his unblemished record intact with two consecutive sterling outings. After scattering three hits in 7 1/3 scoreless innings against Milwaukee on June 10, the 32-year-old followed that up six days later by permitting four hits in seven spotless frames of a 3-0 triumph over the Chicago White Sox. Morton didn't fare as well in his last meeting with Washington, yielding five runs on seven hits in three innings to take the loss.

Gonzalez fell to 0-2 in his last four outings on Sunday after allowing five runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings in a 6-1 setback to Tampa Bay. The 29-year-old looks to rebound versus Pittsburgh, against which he owns a 2-0 career mark after permitting four homers in 29 2/3 innings. Josh Harrison saw his nine-game hitting streak end on Saturday but is 5-for-9 in his career versus Gonzalez.

WALK-OFFS

1. Pittsburgh CF Andrew McCutchen entered the series on a six-game hitting streak, but is 0-for-7 with five strikeouts in his last two games.

2. Washington C Wilson Ramos is 9-for-28 with nine RBIs in his last seven contests.

3. Despite losing the first two games of the series, Pittsburgh owns an impressive 13-5 mark versus the National League East.

PREDICTION: Nationals 3, Pirates 2