Pirates bounce back from being no-hit with offensive outburst, topple Nationals

PITTSBURGH — On the heels of the Pirates’ most challenging offensive performance of the season, it didn’t take long to get off the schneid.

With two away in the first inning of Thursday night’s game at PNC Park, Oneil Cruz smacked a double for the Pirates’ first hit since Tuesday evening’s victory against the Cubs. While Cruz wouldn’t score in the inaugural frame, five Pirates did in the second inning en route to the club securing a 9-3 win against the Nationals.

Little worked for the Pirates on the offensive end when they were no-hit by the Cubs on Wednesday, but such was hardly the case in their return to the North Shore. They strung together a couple of impressive rallies, the first of which allowed the Pirates to storm back from a three-run deficit.

Despite starter Bailey Falter’s early struggles, the Pirates stormed back against Nationals starter Jake Irvin thanks to a patient approach. Both Connor Joe and Yasmani Grandal walked before Jared Triolo drove the former home with a single to right. Two more base knocks ensued, then Cruz walked before Nick Gonzales plated a pair with an RBI single.

The Pirates’ self-restraint was tested, and rewarded again by virtue of three more runs scoring in the sixth inning. The club walked four more times in the frame, twice with the bases loaded to bring home another pair. Before either of those runs scored, the Pirates pushed one across on a wild pitch.

In total, the Pirates walked nine times while striking out just seven times. The relative rarity worked in the Pirates’ favor.

Despite entering the evening in dire need of some hits after failing to register any on Wednesday, the Pirates didn’t operate with either overwhelming nor unnecessary urgency. Instead, they let the game come to them and reaped the fruits of their labor.

On the mound

Falter may have dug the Pirates an early hole, but the left-hander responded with four scoreless frames to round out his outing. Though he finished the evening with seven hits against, three of those came in the first on a single, a double and a two-run home run.

From the second frame onward, Falter settled in to provide some essential innings a night removed from Domingo German, since-designated for assignment, not making it to the fourth in a losing effort.

After Falter, right-handers Carmen Mlodzinski, Dennis Santana and Kyle Nicolas each tossed scoreless innings to perfectly set up left-hander Joey Wentz for his Pirates debut. Wentz labored, however, and ultimately was relieved by Aroldis Chapman to close out the victory.

At the plate

The only hitter in the Pirates’ starting lineup to not record a walk was Isiah Kiner-Falefa, although he did chip in an RBI single in the second. Otherwise, the Pirates watched all sorts of pitches whiz past them and, in the process, mandated the Nationals go deep into their bullpen at the outset of a four-game series.

The Pirates weren’t afraid to wave their sticks, either. Both Cruz and Connor Joe doubled, and the only Pirates starters not to record base hits were Rowdy Tellez and Billy McKinney, the latter of whom was lifted midway through the contest for Bryan De La Cruz.

By no means was it the Pirates’ most impressive offensive performance of the season (they scored 14 against the Mets on July 5), but it was a needed bounce-back considering Wednesday’s woes.