Pirates at Giants
The Pittsburgh Pirates hope to avoid the need for late-inning heroics on Tuesday as they attempt to extend their road winning streak to six games when they visit the San Francisco Giants for the second contest of their four-game series. Pittsburgh rallied for four runs in the ninth inning to post a 6-4 victory in Monday's series opener.
Kevin Newman highlighted the surge with a two-run single for the Pirates, who scored a total of one run in their previous two contests. The 26-year-old infielder has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games, including each of his past five. Brandon Belt went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for San Francisco, which has lost three straight and seven of its last eight at home. Belt recorded only two hits in 23 at-bats over his first eight contests this month after ending August with a five-game hitting streak during which he went 8-for-19.
TV: 9:45 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Mitch Keller (1-3, 8.18 ERA) vs. Giants RH Johnny Cueto (2018: 3-2, 3.23)
Keller retired all five batters he faced - three via strikeout - in his start against Miami last Tuesday before exiting with a bruise on his right wrist courtesy of a line drive. The 23-year-old rookie from Iowa was pounded in his previous outing at Philadelphia on Aug. 28, when he surrendered eight runs and 11 hits over four innings. Keller, who never has faced San Francisco, is 1-2 with an 11.81 ERA in four road starts.
Cueto will be making his first major-league start since July 28, 2018 after going 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA in six rehab outings as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. The 33-year-old Dominican worked 21 1/3 innings in those turns, allowing 10 runs - eight earned - and 20 hits with one walk and 21 strikeouts. Cueto has dominated Pittsburgh over his career, going 20-4 with four complete games, two shutouts and a 2.19 ERA in 30 starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Giants LHP Will Smith has not pitched since Friday due to tightness in his back.
2. Pittsburgh OF Starling Marte missed the series opener due to the left wrist injury he suffered on Sunday and is day-to-day.
3. San Francisco RHP Reyes Moronta will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery on Tuesday while LHP Tony Watson likely is also done for the year due to a fractured left wrist.