Danny Espinosa hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning as the Washington Nationals topped the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-2, Monday in a matchup of two of the worst offenses in baseball.
Jerry Hairston Jr. homered and Wilson Ramos had an RBI single for Washington, which has won two straight following a three-game losing streak.
Steve Pearce had an RBI single and Andrew McCutchen added an RBI triple for Pittsburgh, which has lost six straight. The Pirates were just 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position, which led to another hard-luck loss for Paul Maholm (1-6). He has received just 14 runs of support in his nine starts.
Washington regained the lead in the seventh after Pittsburgh tied the game 2-2 in the top half. Mike Morse hit a one-out single, which chased Maholm. Espinosa then deposited the first pitch he saw from Jose Ascanio into the right field seats for his fifth homer of the season.
That came after McCutchen tied the game with an RBI triple off Cole Kimball (1-0), who relieved Washington starter John Lannan in the seventh. Kimball stranded McCutchen at third by retiring the final two hitters to earn his first-career win.
Sean Burnett got the final two outs of the eighth and Drew Storen worked out of a first-and-second jam in the ninth to remain perfect in nine save opportunities.
Maholm allowed three runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings. His counterpart, Lannan, allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Jerry Hairston Jr. homered and Wilson Ramos had an RBI single for Washington, which has won two straight following a three-game losing streak.
Washington regained the lead in the seventh after Pittsburgh tied the game 2-2 in the top half. Mike Morse hit a one-out single, which chased Maholm. Espinosa then deposited the first pitch he saw from Jose Ascanio into the right field seats for his fifth homer of the season.
That came after McCutchen tied the game with an RBI triple off Cole Kimball (1-0), who relieved Washington starter John Lannan in the seventh. Kimball stranded McCutchen at third by retiring the final two hitters to earn his first-career win.
Sean Burnett got the final two outs of the eighth and Drew Storen worked out of a first-and-second jam in the ninth to remain perfect in nine save opportunities.
Maholm allowed three runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings. His counterpart, Lannan, allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.
