Field Level Media
Apr 16, 2022
Michael Chavis had three hits and drove in a run and Andrew Knapp had two RBIs as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the visiting Washington Nationals 6-4 on Saturday.
Pittsburgh scored three runs in the eighth to move ahead 6-2 before Washington mounted a rally in the ninth against Chris Stratton. The Nationals scored twice and had a runner on before Maikel Franco flied out to end the game.
Pittsburgh has won four of its last six games. Bryse Wilson pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits over 4 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out two. Dillon Peters (2-0) followed Wilson with two scoreless innings.
Washington lost for the third time in its last five games. Juan Soto went 2-for-3 with a solo homer and reached base four times, thanks to a pair of walks.
Pittsburgh broke a 2-2 deadlock in the fifth inning. Josh Rogers (1-1) allowed consecutive singles with one out before giving way to Steve Cishek.
Chavis greeted Cishek with a single to right field, allowing Ke'Bryan Hayes to score the go-ahead run from second base.
Rogers yielded three runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings. He walked two and had two strikeouts.
The Pirates extended their lead with three runs in the eighth. Chavis hit a leadoff triple and scored on Diego Castillo's single off Kyle Finnegan.
With the bases loaded and one out, Knapp grounded into a fielder's choice. One run scored on the groundout and another on Cesar Hernandez's throwing error, giving the Pirates a 6-2 lead.
Washington opened the scoring in the second inning when Franco lined a leadoff single, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Alcides Escobar's one-out double.
Pittsburgh answered with two runs in the bottom of the second. Jake Marisnick drew a one-out walk and scored on Knapp's double before Cole Tucker followed with an RBI single.
Soto tied the game in the fifth with his leadoff home run, a 382-foot rocket to right field off Wilson.
The Nationals scored twice in the ninth inning. Hernandez hit a leadoff single and Soto followed with a double to left field. Hernandez scored on Josh Bell's one-out single before Soto came home on Ruiz's groundout.
--Field Level Media