The host Pittsburgh Pirates look to continue their early-season dominance of the Cincinnati Reds with a three-game series sweep when the National League Central rivals meet Sunday.

The Pirates have outscored the Reds 26-8 in the first two games, while the Reds have used catcher Jose Trevino as a position player pitcher in each of the first two games and for three of their last four games. Cincinnati has dropped three of four, getting outscored 39-10 in the losses.

The Reds led Saturday’s game 2-0 in the first before losing 17-7. It was only Cincinnati’s second loss in 15 games when scoring first. The Pirates, who won a three-game series over the host Reds in early April, won for just the third time in 13 games when the opponent scores first.

“This is a humbling game,” Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said. “I mean it hurts, but we better get over it in a hurry.”

Nick Gonzales continues to be one of the hotter hitters for Pittsburgh, running his on-base streak to 13 games by going 2-for-5 with a walk in Saturday’s rout. Rookie Konnor Griffin went 4-for-5 to raise his average from .232 to .260 while also contributing two RBIs.

The Pirates send right-hander Braxton Ashcraft (1-2, 3.71 ERA) to the mound in the series finale. Ashcraft has emerged as a key component of the rotation, solidifying his role as a reliable starter following a strong rookie campaign.

Coming off his first fully healthy offseason — a major milestone after previous Tommy John and shoulder surgeries — the 26-year-old has utilized his improved conditioning to step into a high-leverage role. Through his first five starts, Ashcraft demonstrated elite form, posting a 1.01 WHIP over 29 2/3 innings, establishing himself as a significant breakout candidate.

Following a 2025 rookie season where he posted a 2.71 ERA over 26 appearances (eight starts), the Pirates placed increased trust in Ashcroft to manage a heavier workload, with the goal of expanding into a 30-start pitcher.

“It was fun to get a body of work in throughout the offseason, as opposed to just trying to get healthy again,” Ashcraft said. “When you’re not trying to focus on getting healthy, it’s a lot easier to work on (other things) in the offseason.”

Despite a rocky outing in late April after returning from a family medical emergency, Ashcraft’s overall performance has been steady. Ashcraft has struck out 39 in 34 innings.

The Reds counter with right-hander Chase Burns (3-1, 2.65). He has established himself as a force to be reckoned with, stepping into a pivotal role following injuries to the team’s veteran rotation. Like Ashcroft, the 23-year-old Burns has 39 strikeouts across 34 innings.

After a 2025 rookie season plagued by a late-year elbow injury and mixed results, the 2024 second-overall pick has shown improved command and resilience.

“The celebration is over about making it to the big leagues,” Burns said. “I got to face some adversity. It’s just up from there.”

–Field Level Media

Veteran right-hander Zack Littell will try to get back on track and help the Washington Nationals avert a three-game sweep against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.

The 30-year-old Littell (0-4, 7.85 ERA) signed as a free agent during spring training. He will be looking to turn things around after giving up eight, six and four earned runs, respectively, in his last three starts, all losses.

Last time out, Littell allowed eight runs (four earned) in 3 2/3 innings against the New York Mets on Tuesday. Two of the hits were home runs — one on his first pitch of the game — and he has given up 11 homers over his past four starts.

“He had a late start to spring training,” National general manager Paul Toboni recently said of Littell. “That factors in. We’re going to hang by these guys. Zack has had moments, as has Miles (Mikolas), where he’s thrown really darn well. We’re going to continue to stand by him.”

One factor that bodes well for Littell on Sunday is that the Brewers are tied for second-to-last in the majors with 22 home runs.

Littell allowed three runs on six hits over five innings of a no-decision at the Brewers on April 12. For his career, he is 0-1 with a 2.35 ERA and one save in 13 games (four starts) versus Milwaukee.

The Brewers, who have won five of six, have not announced a starter for the finale.

On Saturday, Milwaukee got a strong start from Kyle Harrison and took advantage of a Washington miscue in a three-run first en route to a 4-1 win.

After collecting four hits in each of the previous two games, William Contreras was 1-for-4 with a walk, but that hit was crucial as it started a two-out rally in the first.

That gave Contreras, who scored the game’s first run, nine hits in his last 10 at-bats.

“He’s been good,” manager Pat Murphy said. “He’s really been good. He’s capable. We’re looking for consistency, we’re looking for consistency in approach. This guy’s got a chance to be a top-10 player in the league if he stays consistent in every way.”

After a pair of walks following Contreras’ single, third baseman Brady House’s fielding error on Luis Rengifo’s grounder allowed Contreras to score the game’s first run. Brandon Lockridge followed with a two-run single to make it 3-0.

“I think a lot of us kind of just focus on putting up quality at-bats,” Milwaukee shortstop Joey Ortiz said. “That’s what we did that first inning. You just try to come through for the team, really. We were able to punch first and keep the lead.”

The Nationals, meanwhile, lead the major leagues with 32 errors in 34 games.

“We can do all the work we want to pregame, but if we’re not looking at what that work is and making adjustments to it, then we’re not doing our job,” manager Blake Butera said. “We’re gonna adjust our pregame work and try something a little bit different to clean up these mistakes.”

James Wood had two hits and Curtis Mead doubled and scored for the Nationals, who have scored only one run in each of the first two games.

–Field Level Media

Jesus Luzardo will be hoping to build on his last start when the left-hander takes the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday against the host Miami Marlins.

That outing Tuesday was not only notable for Luzardo’s performance but also for its timing.

It was the day the Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson and replaced him on an interim basis with Don Mattingly, who had been the team’s bench coach.

Luzardo (2-3, 5.50 ERA) ushered in the new regime by allowing only two hits without a walk and striking out eight over seven innings in a 7-0 win over the visiting San Francisco Giants.

It not only was Mattingly’s Phillies managerial debut but also the first time this season that a Philadelphia starter had gone seven innings.

“News to us, we found out about 30 minutes ago,” Luzardo said after the game about authoring the team’s first seven-inning start in 2026. “We’re looking forward to doing it a lot more.”

Many looked at it as being a potential watershed moment for the Phillies, who began the season 9-19 under Thomson.

“I don’t know about reset, but maybe galvanize the team,” said Luzardo, who was with the Marlins from 2021-24.

Luzardo has 41 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings as he prepares to face his former team for the first time in the third game of a four-game series.

Philadelphia had won four straight under Mattingly before Saturday’s 4-0 loss as three Miami pitchers limited the visitors to one hit. Philadelphia sent only 28 batters to the plate, one over the minimum.

Sunday’s Miami starter, right-hander Chris Paddack (0-4, 6.11), takes the hill following a stellar outing by teammate Max Meyer on Saturday.

Meyer gave up one hit with a walk and seven strikeouts in seven innings in the longest outing of his career. The right-hander threw 83 pitches, 55 for strikes.

Meyer struck out Kyle Schwarber in all three at-bats after Schwarber struck out in all five at-bats in the series opener on Friday, a 6-5 Philadelphia win. The eight consecutive strikeouts tie Schwarber’s career high.

Miami relievers Anthony Bender and Andrew Nardi retired the side in order in the eighth and ninth, respectively, to complete the one-hitter.

The win tied the series, which ends Monday, at one game each.

Paddack received a no-decision Monday against the host Los Angeles Dodgers, a 5-4 Miami loss. Paddack allowed two runs on four hits in four innings with a walk and a strikeout, throwing 67 pitches.

Paddack has faced Philadelphia three times, all when he was on the San Diego Padres. All three were starts, two in 2019 and one in 2021. Paddack is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA, allowing 12 earned runs and 21 hits in 16 innings with two walks and 15 strikeouts.

Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford was a late scratch Saturday because of a migraine.

Before Saturday’s game, Miami optioned left-hander Cade Gibson to Triple-A Jacksonville and selected the contract of right-hander Josh Ekness from Jacksonville. Per MLB Pipeline, Ekness is the Marlins’ No. 30 prospect.

–Field Level Media