Los Angeles @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 8, 2015 ) LA Dodgers 5, Pittsburgh 6

The Pittsburgh Pirates hold a comfortable lead in the National League wild card race, but they are playing like a team with considerably higher goals. The Pirates are a season-high 20 games over .500 heading into Sunday’s contest against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers, who opened the series with consecutive one-run losses.

Andrew McCutchen is 13-for-29 with nine RBIs over his last nine games for Pittsburgh, which has won four of its last five to move 3 1/2 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs for the first NL wild card spot. The Pirates have been encouraged by the recent play of third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who struggled immediately following his trade from Milwaukee on July 23 but has five hits over his last three games. The Dodgers, who have lost four in a row to the Pirates, hold a three-game lead over San Francisco in the NL West despite dropping three of their last five. Los Angeles' beleaguered bullpen has received a boost from a surprising source in Pedro Baez, who has not allowed a run in seven straight appearances covering nine innings.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Alex Wood (7-7, 3.65 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Charlie Morton (7-4, 4.19)

Wood had mixed results in his Dodgers debut last Tuesday as he allowed four runs while striking out eight over 6 1/3 innings in a 6-2 loss to Philadelphia. The 24-year-old last faced the Pirates on June 28 as a member of the Atlanta Braves, yielding five hits over 7 1/3 scoreless innings. Wood has gone 1-2 with a 2.57 ERA in five career games (four starts) against Pittsburgh, including a 1.26 ERA in two starts at PNC Park.

Morton looks to build on his best start of the season after holding Cincinnati to five hits with no walks over seven scoreless innings last Sunday. The 31-year-old is 4-1 with a 2.52 ERA in six starts at PNC Park this season and 8-2 with a 2.41 ERA over his last 13 home starts. Jimmy Rollins is 7-for-11 against Morton, who allowed six runs over six frames in his only career start against the Dodgers on April 30, 2010.

WALK-OFFS

1. Dodgers 2B Howie Kendrick has collected at least two hits in four consecutive games.

2. Pittsburgh is 33-14 against NL West opponents over the past two seasons.

3. Dodgers INF Justin Turner (skin infection) is not expected to be activated from the disabled list when eligible on Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Pirates 6, Dodgers 3