Tonight at 7:05 p.m. ET, the Atlanta Braves (65-60) and Pittsburgh Pirates (64-61) take the field at PNC Park for the second contest of a three-game set live from Pittsburgh. The game can be live streamed for free here. Atlanta fans can hear all of the action on WCNN 680 while Pittsburgh fans can do the same on KDKA 93.7.
Atlanta looks for its fourth straight win in the second clash of their 10-game road trip while Pittsburgh looks to snap a six-game losing streak on this brief three-game homestand.
The Braves defeated the Pirates 7-3 on Monday to kick off this series. Atlanta enters play in second place in the National League East and six games behind the first place Washington Nationals while Pittsburgh sits in third place in the NL Central, six games behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers.
The Braves are one game out of the final NL wild-card spot while the Pirates sit just two games out, adding to the importance of this series.
Aaron Harang (9-7, 3.51 ERA) takes the ball for the Braves while the Pirates counter with Francisco Liriano, who is 3-9 with a 3.78 ERA thus far this season.
The Pirates will hope that the probable return of centerfielder and reigning NL MVP Andrew McCutchen will help them stop this six-game slide. McCutchen is slated to return after being sidelined with a fractured rib in his left side. Pittsburgh was 5-9 in McCutchen's absence as he spent time on the 15-day disabled list.
"Unless there's some type of setback, we feel optimistic that he could very well rejoin us [Tuesday]," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said via MLB.com.
McCutchen leads the MLB with a .411 on-base percentage while he is second in the NL in OPS (.947) and walks (68), third in slugging percentage (.536) and tied for fourth in batting average (.311). McCutchen also leads the Pirates with 17 homers and 67 RBI.
McCutchen and the Bucs take on an Atlanta team that is focused on not losing any ground in the wild-card hunt with the Pirates directly on their heels, though manager Fredi Gonzalez insists the team is still thinking about winning the NL East for the second straight season.
"I think it's just easier to keep our sights on that instead of the first wild-card or second wild-card," Gonzalez told MLB.com. "With the other scenarios, you have so many other teams."
The Braves boast a lineup that is flanked by outfielder Justin Upton and first baseman Freddie Freeman.
Upton is tied for third in the NL with 23 homers, is in sole possession of fourth place with 75 RBI and ranks fifth with a .515 slugging percentage while Freeman paces the Braves with a .294 batting average and is second in the league with 235 total bases and third with 35 doubles.
McCutchen returns to the Pirates lineup tonight when the Bucs host the Braves for the second contest of a three-game set live from PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
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