Athletics at Pirates
Josh Bell has been the bright spot in an otherwise lackluster Pittsburgh Pirates offensive attack, and he will try to stay hot in the rubber match of a three-game series with the visiting Oakland Athletics on Sunday. Bell went deep twice and drove in three runs in Saturday's 6-4 victory over the Athletics, giving him team highs - by a wide margin - with eight homers and 25 RBIs on the season.
The big first baseman is 8-for-24 with seven RBIs in six interleague games this year for the Pirates, who have won three of four since losing eight in a row. Bryan Reynolds is keeping pace with Bell in the Pittsburgh lineup with an 11-game hitting streak to begin his career after recording two hits in three at-bats Saturday night. Oakland followed up a 14-1 victory in the series opener with three runs in the first inning Saturday before fading and falling to 1-7 on its current nine-game road trip. The Athletics turn to Frankie Montas in the finale opposite Jordan Lyles for the Pirates.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Frankie Montas (4-2, 2.97 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Jordan Lyles (2-1, 2.42)
Montas gave up a season-high seven runs in a season-low 4 1/3 innings at Boston on Monday but only one of the runs was earned. He is 9-8 with a 3.98 ERA in 19 career starts, compared to 1-1 with a 5.66 mark in 30 games out of the bullpen. The 26-year-old has given up 12 runs over 19 1/3 innings in his career in interleague play and will be facing the Pirates for the first time.
Lyles opened 2-0 with a 0.53 ERA through his first three starts but is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA over the last two outings. He walked a season-high four in four innings of a no-decision at Texas on Tuesday. Opponents are batting .228 against the 28-year-old, who held the Athletics to a run over seven innings in their one prior meeting in 2013.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pirates RHP Jameson Taillon (elbow) is out at least four weeks.
2. Reynolds is batting .417 in his career-opening 11-game hitting streak.
3. Athletics DH/LF Khris Davis has six runs scored and three RBIs over his last three games.