Brandon Lowe and Henry Davis each drove in two runs and Braxton Ashcraft struck out seven in a solid start as the Pittsburgh Pirates earned a 7-1 road win over the Washington Nationals on Saturday.
Ashcraft (9-3) allowed one run on six hits with two walks in 5 2/3 innings. Bryan Reynolds, Ryan O’Hearn and Nick Gonzales each had two hits for the Pirates.
James Wood hit his 23rd home run of the season and Daylen Lile had two hits for the Nationals.
Pittsburgh racked up five hits to open a 5-1 lead in the second. Gonzales singled, Jake Mangum was hit by a pitch and Tyler Callihan reached on a bunt single.
Nationals starter Carson Palmquist (0-1) was relieved by Zack Littell, who surrendered Davis’ RBI infield single, scoring Gonzales. Konnor Griffin struck out swinging, but Lowe’s two-run single scored Callihan and Mangum and advanced Davis to second. After Reynolds fouled out to third, Esmerlyn Valdez’s blooper to right drove in Davis.
Earlier, Griffin opened the game by poking a single into right field. He stole second base, and after Lowe struck out swinging, advanced to third on Reynolds’ infield single.
Palmquist struck out Valdez, but Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead on a double steal as Reynolds swiped second and Griffin slid home safely ahead of the throw from Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams.
Wood evened the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first when he drove a first-pitch fastball 428 feet to right for a homer.
Riley Cornelio relieved Littell in the eighth and Pittsburgh extended its lead to 7-1. Reynolds reached on a dribbler down the first-base line. Valdez struck out looking and O’Hearn singled to right. With runners on first and third, Gonzales laced an RBI single to left. Mangum reached on a fielder’s choice that forced out Gonzales at second, but Callihan walked to load the bases. Davis coaxed a walk to drive in another run.
Palmquist allowed four runs on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts in one inning.
