Pirates, Nationals Set for Afternoon Rubber Match at PNC Park

PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — The Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals will decide their four-game series with an afternoon contest Thursday at PNC Park.

First pitch is scheduled for 12:35 p.m. EDT under cloudy skies with a game-time temperature near 79 degrees.

The Pirates (10-7) evened the series with a 2-0 victory Wednesday after the Nationals (8-9) claimed a 5-4 win Tuesday. Pittsburgh outscored Washington 16-5 in Monday’s opener.

Washington will send left-hander Foster Griffin (2-0) to the mound. Pittsburgh had not announced a starting pitcher as of Wednesday evening.

A player to watch for the Nationals is shortstop CJ Abrams, who is 7 for 14 with three home runs and five RBIs over his last four games. He went 3 for 4 with a homer and two RBIs in Tuesday’s victory.

For the Pirates, reliever Yohan Ramírez has been a key bullpen asset, posting five scoreless appearances in his last seven outings. He threw two perfect innings with two strikeouts against Washington on Tuesday.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the Pirates are projected to win 6-5. Pittsburgh is a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5, and the over/under is set at 9 runs.

Following the series, the Nationals return home to open a four-game set with the San Francisco Giants on Friday. The Pirates will welcome the Tampa Bay Rays to PNC Park for a three-game weekend series.