Pirates face the Nationals leading series 2-1
Washington Nationals (8-10, fourth in the NL East) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (11-7, second in the NL Central) Pittsburgh; Thursday, 12:35 p. m.
EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Nationals: Foster Griffin (2-0, 1. 76 ERA, 1. 11 WHIP, 12 strikeouts); Pirates: Braxton Ashcraft (1-1, 2.
12 ERA, 1. 00 WHIP, 20 strikeouts) LINE: Pirates -163, Nationals +136; over/under is 8 1/2 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Pirates host the Washington Nationals with a 2-1 series lead. Pittsburgh has gone 6-3 in home games and 11-7 overall.
The Pirates have an 8-1 record in games when they have more hits than their opponents. Washington has a 7-5 record on the road and an 8-10 record overall. The Nationals have the third-ranked team batting average in the NL at .
263. The teams play Thursday for the fourth time this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Brandon Lowe leads the Pirates with seven home runs while slugging .