Boston @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 16, 2014 ) Boston 0, Pittsburgh 4

The Pittsburgh Pirates continue their charge toward the postseason when they host the Boston Red Sox in the middle contest of their three-game interleague series Wednesday. The Pirates cruised to a 4-0 victory in the opener to maintain their 1 1/2-game lead over Milwaukee for the second NL wild-card spot. Russell Martin and Starling Marte homered while Charlie Morton struck out six and allowed four hits over five innings in his return from a month-long absence due to a sports hernia.

The victory, its ninth in 11 contests, kept alive Pittsburgh's chance for a division title as it moved to within 2 1/2 games of first-place St. Louis in the NL Central with 12 remaining. Boston had a runner in scoring position in six of the nine innings Tuesday but was unable to avoid being shut out for the second time in eight contests. Xander Bogaerts went 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to nine games.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), ROOT (Pittsburgh)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Clay Buchholz (8-8, 5.19 ERA) vs. Pirates LH Francisco Liriano (5-10, 3.53)

Buchholz extended his winning streak to three starts Thursday, allowing three runs - two earned - and six hits in 6 1/3 innings at Kansas City. The 30-year-old has lost just one of his last eight outings, yielding more than three runs only twice in that span. Buchholz, who is 5-3 with a 3.96 ERA in 13 road starts this season, never has faced Pittsburgh.

Liriano is riding a four-start unbeaten streak during which he has held the opposition scoreless three times. The 30-year-old Dominican, who enters not having allowed a run in his last 16 innings, scattered four hits and struck out a season-high 12 in eight frames at Philadelphia on Thursday for his second straight victory. Liriano has struggled against Boston in his career, going 1-3 with a 7.01 ERA in five outings.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Red Sox went 4-0 versus Cincinnati this season but are 1-9 against the rest of the NL Central.

2. Cuban OF Rusney Castillo is expected to make his major-league debut Wednesday after signing a seven-year, $72.5 million contract with Boston in August.

3. Pirates SS Jordy Mercer was scratched from Tuesday's lineup due to tightness in his back.

PREDICTION: Pirates 7, Red Sox 1