WASHINGTON, D.C. — Brandon Lowe hit a go-ahead three-run home run off Brad Lord in the eighth inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied past the Washington Nationals 11-5 on Sunday at Nationals Park to salvage the finale of the three-game series.
Luis García Jr. and Dylan Crews each went deep for Washington, but Cade Cavalli struggled in his start, allowing three earned runs on six hits over just 2 1/3 innings. The Pirates built an early 4-0 lead before the Nationals clawed back, only for Pittsburgh’s bats to break the game open late. Konnor Griffin delivered a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth, and Lowe followed with his three-run blast to chase Lord (5-2), who took the loss in relief.
Gregory Soto (5-2) picked up the win out of the Pittsburgh bullpen, and Bryan Reynolds also homered for the Pirates. Griffin backed up his big day at the plate with a pair of highlight-reel catches in the outfield, including a diving, backhanded grab on a sun-fighting popup in the fourth and a sliding catch the following inning.
The loss dropped Washington to 46-45 on the season, while Pittsburgh also sits at 46-45. The Nationals will look to regroup as they open their next series.