Credit the Pittsburgh Pirates with a short memory.
One day after being no-hit for the first time in four years, the Pirates bounced back with a 9-4 win over the Washington Nationals in the opener of a four-game series on Thursday.
The Pirates (66-74) will look to build on the victory when they continue the series against visiting Washington on Friday.
Nick Gonzales drove in three runs and the Pirates rallied from an early three-run deficit on Thursday.
“Have to do whatever it takes to get back out there. No-hit yesterday doesn’t really mean anything today,” Gonzales said after the Thursday game. “I think we just had a good plan from the get-go, a good idea of what we wanted to do against the pitcher and kind of just stuck with it.”
Washington (62-78) went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 baserunners while losing for the fifth time in six games.
“It was about timely hitting. We left a lot of guys on base,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “We finish the game off with the bases loaded. We have to do a better job. We scored early. Next inning, we came out and had a couple runners on. We had a chance to put them away right there, and we didn’t do it.”
Washington rookie third baseman Andres Chaparro homered on Thursday, and he has 11 extra-base hits in 20 games since making his major league debut on Aug. 13.
Martinez is exercising patience with All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams, who batting .173 with three homers and 14 RBIs in his last 39 games. The left-handed hitter was rested on Thursday against Pirates left-handed starter Bailey Falter.
“We all know that he’s struggling a little bit,” Martinez said. “… We’re trying to get him going again. I know he’s been struggling lately. So just another day. Give him a day off his feet.”
The Nationals will start left-hander DJ Herz (2-7, 4.09 ERA) on Friday. He allowed four runs on three hits over 4 2/3 innings in a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, walking two and striking out five.
The 23-year-old rookie owns a 43-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 34 innings in seven starts since July 28. He is set to oppose Pittsburgh for the first time in his career.
The Pirates will counter with right-hander Luis L. Ortiz (6-4, 3.19 ERA), who carries a career-high 15-inning scoreless streak into the contest.
Ortiz, 25, allowed one hit in six scoreless innings during a 3-0 win over the host Cleveland Guardians on Saturday. He credits the Pirates’ coaching staff for helping him achieve career highs in innings pitched (113) and wins.
“It’s hard work, and it’s the staff,” Ortiz said. “They’re always on top of me, trying to make me better. I’ve been taking advantage of that, too, the help from the staff.”
Ortiz is set to make his second career appearance vs. Washington. He allowed two runs in one inning of relief against the Nationals on April 4.
Pittsburgh designated pitcher Domingo German for assignment on Tuesday to make room for reliever Joey Wentz, who was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Tigers.
Wentz made his Pirates debut on Thursday and allowed a run while getting one out in the ninth inning. Aroldis Chapman replaced him with the bases loaded and got the last two outs for his sixth save.
–Field Level Media
