The visiting Atlanta Braves will try to clinch a four-game series win Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Braves, the top team in the majors, are 23-7 against Pittsburgh dating to 2018 but have been pushed in the teams' first series this year by a Pirates club out of contention and polka-dotted with rookies and inexperience
Pittsburgh won the opener 7-6 on Monday before Atlanta won the next two, needing three runs in the ninth for an 8-6 win Tuesday and blowing an early four-run lead before pulling out a 6-5 win Wednesday
The Pirates, 2-0-2 in their previous four series, can earn another draw with a win Thursday, but Wednesday's loss may haunt them
They erased a four-run deficit, fell behind 5-4, tied it again, then gave up the winning run in the eighth on Austin Riley's sacrifice fly to deep second that sent Michael Harris II home from third.