(SportsNetwork.com) - The Toronto Blue Jays have blown two late leads to open up a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates, who play their third game of a nine-game homestand today, aim to put the Blue Jays out of their misery with a sweep at PNC Park. Pittsburgh won Fridays opener 6-5 and took the series with an 8-6 triumph on Saturday. They scored four runs in the seventh inning to tie the game and Neil Walkers two-run double in the eighth put Pittsburgh ahead for good. In Saturdays loss, Jose Bautista belted his ninth home run, Brett Lawrie collected three hits and Josh Thole went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. R.A. Dickey got the start for the Jays and did not record a decision with six innings of three-run ball. Todd Redmond gave up the go-ahead runs and Aaron Loup was reached for three runs in relief. "I felt pretty strong tonight," Dickey said. "But Loup is really good. He had a tough night tonight ... I thought it was a good call. It just didnt work out." Blue Jays catcher Dioner Navarro hasnt played since Thursdays win at Kansas City because of a right quadriceps issue and could return Sunday. The Jays will visit Philadelphia for two games after their trip to Pittsburgh and will start a nine-game homestand later in the week. Taking the hill for the Blue Jays Sunday will be Dustin McGowan, who is 1-1 in five starts to go along with a 5.87 ERA. McGowan hasnt registered a decision in his last three outings and previously toed the rubber in Tuesdays 10-7 loss at Kansas City, where he permitted three runs, two of which were earned, in six innings of work. McGowan had allowed nine runs in his past two starts (8 IP). The right-hander won his only career start against Pittsburgh back on June 22, 2008, as he lasted five innings and gave up four runs (3 earned) in an 8-5 victory in the Steel City. The Jays and Pirates are tangling for the first time since 2011, when Pittsburgh took two of three games north of the border. "Part of the reason I think you pull it off is you keep pushing and you keep believing," said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. "The guys keep rooting each other on, keep going up there trying to get something done." Jordy Mercers two-run double highlighted the seventh inning, while Josh Harrison ended 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored and Clint Barmes finished with a pair of hits. Pittsburghs late heroics made a winner out of relief pitcher Bryan Morris, who improved to 3-0 with a scoreless top of the eighth inning. Mark Melancon worked around a hit in the ninth for his first save and starter Francisco Liriano struggled through 3 2/3 innings, allowing five runs -- four earned -- and six hits. San Francisco and St. Louis are scheduled to visit the Steel City as well. The Pirates will hand pitching duties to Edinson Volquez on Sunday and he has lost his last two trips to the mound. He allowed two runs in seven innings of a 4-1 loss to Cincinnati on April 22, then was pounded for six runs and seven hits through 5 2/3 frames in last Sundays 7-0 loss at St. Louis. Volquez dropped to 1-2 on the season with a 3.21 earned run average in six games (5 starts) after the loss to the Cardinals. He has allowed 10 runs over his last three appearances. The right-hander has made three career starts against Toronto, going 0-2 with a lofty 8.16 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting just .230 against Volquez. Toronto looks to avoid the sweep and has lost eight of its last 10 games. (SportsNetwork.com) - The New York Islanders have lost ground in the NHL playoff race during a five-game slide and the club may have more bad news coming down the pike. But first, the struggling club hopes to avoid a sixth consecutive setback on Tuesday when it visits the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center. Watch the Islanders vs. Capitals live tonight on TSN2 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. In addition to posting an 0-4-1 record during its current slide, the Isles are also having difficulty convincing winger Thomas Vanek to stay with the club and New York may wind up trading the Austrian winger. According to a report Monday in Newsday, Vanek, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July, has turned down a "substantial contract offer" from the Isles. The report also says New York general manager Garth Snow is fielding offers from teams looking to acquire the 30-year-old forward. Vanek was acquired from Buffalo in a trade on Oct. 27 and he has 15 goals and 38 points in 41 games with the Islanders after becoming part of a formidable top line with John Tavares and Kyle Okposo. If Vanek is dealt by the Isles, it will turn out to be a costly rental for the club. New York sent winger Matt Moulson to the Sabres along with a first-round pick in this summers draft as well as a second-rounder in 2015 to land Vanek. The NHL trade deadline for this season is March 5. The Islanders went 10-3-0 from Dec. 29-Jan. 21 before losing five in a row. The clubs last two losses came against the rival New York Rangers, who posted a 2-1 regulation win over the Isles in last Wednesdays outdoor game at Yankee Stadium before notching a 4-1 home win Friday night at Madison Square Garden. Derick Brassard and Brad Richards scored less than three minutes apart in the third period to support a strong effort from Henrik Lundqvist in the Rangers win over the Isles at MSG. Okposo had the lone score for the struggling Islanders, while Evgeni Nabokov stopped 33-of-36 chances in defeat. "We just looked like we ran out of gas," Tavares said. "We just didnt seem to have that extra gear when we needed it." With 50 points, the Isles are currently 13th out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference and 12 points out of a playoff spot. Including tonights tilt, New York has three games left before the NHL breaks for the Winter Olympics.dddddddddddd After visiting Washington on Tuesday, the Isles will host Calgary and Colorado on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. After losing seven in a row from Jan. 12-24, Washington has recorded three wins over its last five games and is 3-1-1 during that stretch. The Capitals split a home-and-home series with Detroit over the weekend, losing Fridays road portion against the Red Wings 4-3 in a shootout before taking Sundays wild 6-5 overtime decision at the Verizon Center. Alex Ovechkin scored a power-play goal 2:37 into overtime to lift the Capitals to Sundays entertaining matinee battle in D.C. Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith was called for tripping at the 1:26 mark of the extra session. The Capitals moved the puck around and John Carlson fed Ovechkin for a one-timer from the left circle. Ovechkin has scored seven times over his last nine games and he is leading the NHL with 39 goals. His next goal will give Ovechkin 40 or more markers in a season for the sixth time in his career and for the first time since he posted 50 in 2009-10. Joel Ward registered two goals and one assist on Sunday and Jason Chimera added a goal and two helpers for the Capitals, who overcame blowing a trio of two-goal leads to win for the third time in their last 12 games. "We came out great and they never gave up; they are a really good hockey team," said Washington head coach Adam Oates. Michal Neuvirth picked up the win despite surrendering five goals on 30 shots. The Capitals expect to be without defenseman Mike Green for a third straight game after he suffered a concussion last week against Columbus. Green tried to practice on Monday, but he left for the dressing room after 10 minutes. Washington forwards Mikhail Grabovski (sprained left ankle), Brooks Laich (groin), Eric Fehr (lower body) and Aaron Volpatti (upper body) are also questionable for tonights contest. The Caps, who are three points out of a playoff spot in the East, are 2-0 against the Islanders this season and have won three straight and five of the past seven games in this series. Washington is 8-2-1 in the past 11 encounters in D.C. ' ' '