Pittsburgh PiratesvsWashington Nationals
PIT 5/WSH 9
Things to say
The Washington Nationals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-5 at Nationals Park.
01
opener
Nats took it 9 to 5. Their bats woke up and it kind of got away from Pittsburgh late. Wasn't as close as the score even looks.
02
key player
The heart of the order carried Washington all night. Nine runs doesn't happen without the middle guys leaving the yard.
03
hot take
Pirates pitching is the real story. You can't give up nine and expect to hang around, doesn't matter how you swing it.
04
deep cut
Pittsburgh manager went to the pen way too early and it cost him. Once that bullpen door opened, the whole thing unraveled.
05
exit
Anyway, both these clubs are hovering right around .500, so the next one actually matters. Should be a fun series.
The recap
Washington jumped on Pittsburgh and never looked back, cruising to a 9-5 win at Nationals Park on a getaway day. The bats did the heavy lifting, stacking crooked numbers and knocking the Pirates starter around before he could ever get into his stuff.
Once the heart of the order got rolling, this one was pretty much decided, and the bullpen just had to close the door. Washington climbs back over .500 territory while Pittsburgh drops another one and slips under the break-even mark.