WASHINGTON (Interstat) — The Washington Nationals host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday at Nationals Park for the opener of a three-game series, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. under clear skies and a forecasted temperature of 99 degrees. Washington (45-43) enters play a game ahead of .500 and two games behind the first-place New York Mets in the National League East. Pittsburgh (44-44) sits at .500, four games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. The Nationals have won three of four meetings this season, all played in Pittsburgh from April 13-16. Washington took the series opener 5-4 on April 14, lost 16-5 the next day, then won 8-7 in the finale. Both clubs are coming off victories Thursday. Pittsburgh beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-1, while Washington defeated the Boston Red Sox 10-2 on Wednesday. Right-hander Jared Jones (6-5, 3.89 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Pirates. In his most recent outing Thursday at Philadelphia, Jones allowed one earned run on two hits over four innings with six strikeouts in a 6-1 win. Over his past five starts, he has a 4.17 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 19⅔ innings, though he has not completed five innings in any of those appearances. Jones has pitched a total of four innings in four of his last five outings. Left-hander Andrew Alvarez (7-4, 3.47 ERA) is set to start for Washington. Alvarez threw 4⅔ scoreless innings Wednesday against Boston, allowing two hits and striking out six in a 10-2 win. Over his past five starts, he has a 2.07 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 21⅔ innings. He has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of those outings. Pittsburgh’s offense was led Thursday by third baseman Nick Gonzales, who went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs. Reliever Carmen Mlodzinski threw three scoreless innings in support. In Thursday’s win, the Pirates snapped a three-game losing streak after dropping three straight to the Phillies by a combined 26-6. Washington’s lineup was powered Thursday by left fielder James Wood, who went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Reliever Brad Lord contributed 2⅓ scoreless innings. The Nationals have won four of their past six games. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-5 victory for Washington. The Nationals are listed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1½. The over/under is 9½ runs. The series continues Saturday with a 4:05 p.m. start, followed by Sunday’s finale at 1:35 p.m. After the series, Pittsburgh returns home to face the Atlanta Braves for three games beginning July 7. Washington hosts the Houston Astros for three games starting July 6.