Nats Steamroller Bucs Again By 9-3 Count

With one gone, Gregory singled on a ball deflected by Stephen Strasburg and Starling followed with another knock. The Pirates got a break when J-Bell's force out was overturned on a challenge, as Trea Turner came off the bag, to load the bases. Corey D hit into a force to plate a run (the Bucs challenged that call, too, but went to the well once too often) and took a 1-0 lead. Didn't last long; Bryce Harper and Matt Adams went long against Ivan Nova. Harper's was a no-doubter off a middle-middle change and Adam's a WD-40 squeaker over the rail job, picking up right where they left off last night. The Pirates went 1-2-3 in the second and ditto for Washington. With an out in the third, Gregory doubled and Starling's knock put Bucs on the corners - until Marte tried to steal and was rung up. He may have been safe, but Clint has burned his challenges. J-Bell walked, climbing out of an 0-2 hole, and Corey D's two-out knock tied it. Again, not for long. Harper doubled, a bunt single (J-Bell hesitated and lost both runners) moved him up and Adams singled him home.

Corey D keeps on keepin' on (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Freeser opened the fourth with a knock and never left first. A single, bunt, single left Nats at first and third. Harper hit a grounder to second; he beat Jordy's relay (Bryce flew up the line) and it was 4-2. Then he stole second but no more leakage came of it as Harper was picked off heading to third on a grounder in the hole. No noise in the fifth for Pittsburgh; the Nats used a walk and two singles to juice the bases with no outs. That was followed by a hot grounder off Mad Max's mitt, turning two outs into two runs. An intentional walk loaded 'em up again. A grounder (another ball that could have been a DP; Max isn't helping himself tonight) brought home another run and Harper's two-out single yet another; why Nova is still in the game and why they didn't walk Harper are Clint mysteries. That finally brought in Kyle Crick with the score 8-2 to close the door. Fran smacked a solo shot in the sixth. A double and two-out, two-strike knock added to the Nat account.

It was three up and down for the Pirates in the seventh. Steven Brault got the call from the pen and gave up a two-bagger but no runs, yay! Trevor Gott came in for the eighth. Pittsburgh got a walk and knock, but a DP in the middle short-circuited the frame. Steven looked good; throwing strikes and hitting 94. His only blemish was walking Adams, probably a good tactical decision. Carlos Torres came on to turn out the lights.

Steven let the inner animal out tonight (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

When the pitching - and fielding - take off the series, there's not much the guys can do. Second base has been a black hole w/o J-Hay; Clint finally gave Mad Max a chance he didn't grab. We could live with S-Rod there if the ol' skipper is willing to play with the lineup to accommodate him; there's been a lot of twin killings going by the boards with Fraze and Max there. And we were encouraged by Brault; maybe a bullpen mentality is unleashing a little aggression in his approach. Willy will try to salvage a game against Jeremy Hellickson tomorrow afternoon.

Notes:

• Starling had two hits and a walk; Gregory and Corey D had two knocks each. 
• Cervy's homer was his fifth. He had five in 2017 in 81 games; it took 25 this campaign to match.
• Pittsburgh has lost seven straight on the road. They're also 13-25 all-time at Nationals Park.
• The walk to Matt Adams was Nova's first in five games, a streak of 130 batters.
• Sheryl Ring of Fangraphs writes that there are a lot of moving pieces involved with the return of Jung Ho Kang and many don't mesh very well.