Pittsburgh @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 24, 2019 ) Miami 6, Pittsburgh 10

While the Miami Marlins snapped their six-game losing streak with a win Wednesday against St. Louis, the Pittsburgh Pirates were unable to end theirs in Atlanta and carry a seven-game slide into the first of three contests at Miami on Friday. A 6-5 loss to the Braves on Thursday extended their streak to seven straight defeats - one shy of matching a season high - and left them 6-18 over the last 24 games.

The Pirates have given up an average of 7.7 runs during the losing streak and at least five in each contest. Trevor Richards has been on a roll for the Marlins and will try to keep Pittsburgh on a downward trend when he starts the series opener. The Pirates counter with Steven Brault as they begin the final three contests of a 10-game road trip. Garrett Cooper had a grand slam and a triple for Miami in Wednesday's 9-0 win over the Cardinals.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, FS Florida (Miami)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Steven Brault (2-1, 5.05 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Trevor Richards (3-6, 3.31)

Brault will be making his fourth straight start and sixth of the year while looking to build off a solid outing at Milwaukee on Sunday. The 27-year-old limited the Brewers to two runs in a career-high 6 1/3 innings, which left him with a 1.72 ERA over his last three starts. Brault has never faced the Marlins.

Richards is 3-1 with a 1.74 ERA over his last five starts and has limited opponents to five hits in 19 innings in his last three. He tossed seven scoreless innings in his only prior matchup with the Pirates last season. The 26-year-old owns a solid 3.67 ERA in 20 career starts at home.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cooper is batting .395 with three homers and nine RBIs in June.

2. Pirates LF Bryan Reynolds had three hits in Thursday's loss and boasts 10 multi-hit efforts in his last 19 games.

3. Pittsburgh has taken two of three at Miami in each of its last two trips there.

PREDICTION: Marlins 4, Pirates 3