Washington Nationals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Quick read:

The Pittsburgh Pirates (10-7, second in the NL Central) will host the Washington Nationals (8-9, fourth in the NL East) on Wednesday at 6:40 p.m. EDT in Pittsburgh.

The Pirates, who hold a 5-3 home record and have hit 20 home runs (ranking third in the NL), are favored by BetMGM Sportsbook at -180, while the Nationals are +150; the over/under is set at 9 runs. Probable pitchers are Jake Irvin for the Nationals (1-1, 7.07 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 16 strikeouts) and Mason Montgomery for the Pirates (1-0, 6.14 ERA, 1.91 WHIP, 16 strikeouts).

Key performers include Pirates' Brandon Lowe (two doubles, seven home runs, .286 average) and Oneil Cruz (14 for 40 with three doubles and two home runs in the last 10 games), and Nationals' C.J. Abrams (six home runs, .695 slugging) and James Wood (14 for 37 with three doubles, four home runs, and 11 RBIs in the last 10 games).

The Nationals have the second-ranked NL on-base percentage at .342. This is the third meeting between the teams this season.

The Pirates have a 6-4 record in their last 10 games with a 3.26 ERA, while the Nationals are 5-5 with...