Griffin’s big day leads the Pirates over Nationals
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WASHINGTON -- Konnor Griffin had a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Washington Nationals 11-5 on Sunday in a game in which he was also spectacular in the field.
Brandon Lowe followed Griffin’s key hit with a three-run homer off Brad Lord (5-2) to extend the lead.
Griffin, the 20-year-old who received a nine-year, $140 million contract in April, showed why the Pirates view him as such an important part of their future. He made a diving stop in the third on Curtis Mead’s grounder, but Mead beat the throw for an infield single.
In the fourth, Griffin had to fight the sun on Keibert Ruiz’s popup to shallow left field, making a diving, backhanded grab. The following inning, he made another backhanded, sliding catch in the outfield, although James Wood was able to tag up and beat the throw home, resulting in a rare sacrifice fly to the shortstop.
Gregory Soto (5-2) got the win in relief. The Pirates blew a 4-0 lead before going ahead for good with their five-run eighth. Bryan Reynolds also homered for Pittsburgh, and Luis García Jr. and Dylan Crews went deep for Washington.
Cade Cavalli, who is appealing a suspension for his role in Tuesday’s bench-clearing dustup at Boston, allowed three earned runs and six hits in 2 1/3 innings. Tyler Callihan opened the scoring for Pittsburgh with a two-run single in the second, and after an error on Cavalli on a pickoff attempt, he scored on Jake Mangum’s single.
Reynolds led off the fourth with his 13th homer of the year to make it 4-0.
García hit a two-run shot -- his 19th -- in the bottom of the third, and the Nationals scored runs in the fourth and fifth to tie it. Pirates starter Bubba Chandler allowed four runs in four-plus innings.
Griffin’s hit with the bases loaded in the eighth put Pittsburgh up 6-4 and Lowe followed with a drive to right for his 21st homer. Crews went deep for the Nationals in the bottom of the inning.
Henry Davis hit a two-run single in the top of the ninth.
Up next
After an off day, the Pirates send Paul Skenes (6-8) to the mound Tuesday night at home against Atlanta.
Washington hosts Houston on Monday night. Miles Mikolas (2-7) -- who also is appealing a suspension -- starts for the Nationals.
SATURDAY
Ashcraft wins 4th straight start
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Braxton Ashcraft won his fourth consecutive start and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Washington Nationals 7-1 on Saturday.
Henry Davis and Brandon Lowe both drove in two runs for Pittsburgh, which got back to .500 at 45-45 after dropping three of its past four.
Pirates rookie Konnor Griffin stole home as part of a double steal with two outs in the first inning to open the scoring. Griffin earlier stole second after a leadoff single and the Pirates had four stolen bases for the game.
James Wood hit a leadoff homer for the Nationals, whose three-game winning streak ended.
Ashcraft (9-3) allowed a run and six hits in 5 2/3 innings and struck out seven. The 26-year-old right-hander has a 3.04 ERA and 32 strikeouts in four starts since June 17 and has won eight of his past nine decisions.
With the game tied 1-1, Nationals opener Carson Palmquist (0-1) loaded the bases with none out in the second before yielding to Zack Littell.
Davis then drove in a run with an infield single, and Lowe added a two-run single two batters later. Esmerlyn Valdez made it 5-1 with a run-scoring single later in the inning.
Littell gave up a run in six innings while striking out three.
Pittsburgh added two runs in the eighth against Riley Cornelio on Nick Gonzales’ RBI single and Davis’ bases-loaded walk.
Wood hit Ashcraft’s first pitch of the day 428 feet into the third deck in right field to tie it. It was his 23rd of the season, including his seventh leadoff shot.
Washington outfielder Jacob Young was scratched from the lineup about 40 minutes before the game with left hand soreness.