Pirates 0 - 6 Nationals
Final
  for this game

Nats pin hopes on Scherzer vs. Pirates

Jun 20, 2015 - 11:37 AM (SportsNetwork.com) - It will certainly be difficult for Max Scherzer to match his last performance.

Coming off team-record 16-strikeouts, Scherzer takes the mound Saturday afternoon when the Washington Nationals entertain the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Last Sunday, Scherzer flirted with a perfect game and ended with a one-hit shutout in a 4-0 win at Milwaukee. Scherzer allowed a hit to Carlos Gomez leading off the seventh inning. The 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner also walked Scooter Gennett with one out in the eighth, and avoided losing three straight starts for the first time since 2010, when he pitched for the Tigers.

Scherzer is 3-2 with a 3.05 ERA in six career starts versus the Pirates.

Francisco Liriano counters for the Pirates. The lefty has pitched eight innings in each of his last two starts and has 18 strikeouts and two walks in that span, but is 1-1. Liriano blanked the White Sox on just two hits Monday in an 11-0 victory. Liriano has posted a 1.52 ERA in six starts this season on the road.

Liriano is 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA in two career starts against the Nationals.

On Friday, Joe Ross pitched 7 1/3 solid innings and the Nationals ended the Pittsburgh Pirates' eight-game winning streak with a 4-1 victory.

Ross (2-1), making his third career start, surrendered just one run and five hits with 11 strikeouts. He also recorded his first career hit.

"He throws it where he wants to," Washington manager Matt Williams said of Ross. "He's aggressive and that's going to allow him to go deep into games."

Wilson Ramos finished with two hits and two RBI and Yunel Escobar and Danny Espinosa each drove in a run for the Nationals, who ended a four-game home losing streak despite not having star outfielder Bryce Harper in the lineup due to a strained left hamstring.

Gregory Polanco's RBI single accounted for the Pirates' lone run and A.J. Burnett (6-3) was rocked for four runs -- three earned -- and 14 hits with seven strikeouts over 6 2/3 frames.

"They had a good approach, came out and swung early," Burnett said. "They had a lot of first- second-pitch hits."

The Bucs have gone 13-4 against teams from the NL East Division this season.

Pittsburgh has lost five straight times to the Nationals.






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