Nick Gonzales shone in a five-run second inning with a two-run single and ended up with three RBIs as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Washington Nationals 9-4 on Thursday, just one night after being no-hit.
Oneil Cruz hit a sharply struck two-out double to right field in the first inning, marking the Pirates’ first hit after they only had three baserunners — two walks and an error — against Chicago the previous night when the Cubs’ Shota Imanaga, Nate Pearson, and Porter Hodge combined to no-hit them.
Gonzales had previously grounded softly to third, ending that threat while the Pirates were down 3-0. However, he came through in the second inning with a two-run single to right after Jared Triolo, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Bryan Reynolds had already delivered run-scoring hits.
“Have to do whatever it takes to get back out there. No-hit yesterday doesn’t really mean anything today,” Gonzales said.
“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.”
Yasmani Grandal added to Pittsburgh’s lead in the third inning with a single to right off Jake Irvin (9-12), who allowed six runs, seven hits, and three walks in five innings.
Triolo scored on a passed ball in the sixth inning. Eduardo Salazar took over from Joe La Sosa and walked Gonzales and Rowdy Tellez with the bases loaded.
Pittsburgh had eight hits and a season-high nine walks in the game.
“This is a team that doesn’t walk a lot of people,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “I think they throw the third-most amount of strikes in baseball and we had, what, eight or nine walks? Had really good at-bats, had consecutive walks. Then got some big two-out hits. Nick’s big two-out hit there.”
Pittsburgh starter Bailey Falter (7-7) pitched five innings, giving up seven hits and three runs, all in the first four batters of the game.
