Andres Chapparo finished 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs, helping the visiting Washington Nationals turn a 2-run deficit into an 8-6 win with a ninth-inning rally vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.
Keibert Ruiz also tallied three hits for Washington (64-78), which swept the day-night doubleheader.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 3-for-4, while Oneil Cruiz and Jared Triolo each finished with a pair of hits, as Pittsburgh (66-76) dropped their third of four games. Mitch Keller threw six innings of two-run ball, allowing seven hits while striking out eight without a walk.
Leading 6-4 entering the ninth inning, Pittsburgh’s Aroldis Chapman (5-5) struck out Juan Yepez and walked Drew Millas — who advanced to second on a balk — before striking out CJ Abrams. James Wood then cut the deficit in half with an RBI single and Chapparo advanced Wood to second on a single.
On a 3-2 count, pinch hitter Ildemaro Vargas hit a liner that right fielder Connor Joe couldn’t squeeze while making a diving attempt, scoring two runs to help Washington take a 7-6 lead. Ruiz then doubled in Vargas for the fourth Nationals run of the ninth.
Kyle Finnegan earned his 36th save with a clean bottom of the ninth.
After Keller threw a scoreless top of the first, Kiner-Falefa led off the home half of the first with a walk, followed by Cruz’s double two batters later.
After Nationals starter Mitchell Parker struck out Joe, Triolo drove in both runners with his two-out single, giving the Pirates a 2-0 lead. Pittsburgh tacked on in the bottom of the second, as Yasmani Grandal led off with a double and Alika Williams drove him in with a one-out RBI double.
With two outs and runners on first and second in the top of the third for Washington, Chaparro singled in Millas to cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 3-1.
Parker lasted just 3 1/3 innings, allowing six hits on four earned runs, while striking out five and walking four.
Ryan Borucki replaced Keller for the top of the seventh, allowing Milas’ leadoff single, before striking out CJ Abrams and James Wood. Chapparo then launched his fourth homer of the year, a two-run shot that knotted the game at 4.
In the bottom of the eighth, Jacob Barnes walked Grandal. After striking out Nick Gonzales, pinch runner Bryan De La Cruz advanced to second on a passed ball. Two batters later, Kiner-Falefa singled in the go-ahead run on a single to center.
Reynolds then gave Pittsburgh a 6-4 lead with an RBI groundout off Robert Garcia (3-5), who earned the win.
–Field Level Media
