WASHINGTON (Interstat) — The Pittsburgh Pirates scored five runs in the eighth inning to break open a close game and beat the Washington Nationals 11-5 on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park. Pittsburgh took a 3-0 lead in the second inning on a two-run single by Tyler Callihan and an RBI single by Jake Mangum. Washington answered with two runs in the third on Luis Garcia Jr.’s two-run homer, then cut the deficit to 3-4 on runs in the fourth and fifth innings. The Pirates erupted for five runs in the eighth, highlighted by Brandon Lowe’s three-run homer, his 21st of the season. Konnor Griffin added a two-run single earlier in the frame. Pittsburgh tacked on two more in the ninth on Henry Davis’ single. Gregory Soto (5-2) earned the win with two innings of relief, allowing one run. Brad Lord (5-2) took the loss. Griffin went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Pittsburgh. Dylan Crews homered for Washington. The Pirates outhit the Nationals 13-10. Attendance was 19,587. Time of game was 3:28. Both teams are 46-45.

WASHINGTON (Interstat) — The Pittsburgh Pirates used a five-run eighth inning to break open a close game and beat the Washington Nationals 11-5 on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park, a victory that moved both teams to 46-45 on the season. Pittsburgh grabbed an early lead with three runs in the second inning. Ryan O’Hearn walked to start the rally, and Nick Gonzales followed with a single. After a groundout moved both runners into scoring position, Tyler Callihan delivered a two-run single to right field. Jake Mangum then singled to left, driving in Callihan to make it 3-0. Bryan Reynolds extended the lead in the third inning, launching his 13th home run of the season to center field. That solo shot gave the Pirates a 4-0 advantage. Washington answered quickly in the bottom of the third. Keibert Ruiz singled, and Luis García Jr. crushed his 19th home run of the year to right field, cutting the deficit to 4-2. The Nationals added a run in the fourth when Jorbit Vivas grounded out to first base, scoring Dylan Crews from third after Crews had walked and advanced on a groundout. Washington made it 4-3. The Nationals continued to chip away in the fifth. After James Wood walked, García singled, and Curtis Mead walked to load the bases. CJ Abrams lifted a sacrifice fly to shortstop, scoring Wood and tying the game at 4-4. The score remained deadlocked until the eighth inning, when Pittsburgh erupted for five runs. With one out, Endy Rodríguez singled. Jared Triolo then singled, and Mangum walked to load the bases. Konnor Griffin followed with a two-run single to right field, scoring Rodríguez and Triolo to put the Pirates ahead 6-4. Mangum advanced to third on the play. Brandon Lowe then delivered the decisive blow, a three-run home run to right field, his 21st of the season. The blast scored Mangum and Griffin, extending the lead to 9-4. The Pirates added another run in the ninth on a two-run single by Henry Davis that drove in O’Hearn and Gonzales, making it 11-4. Washington answered with a run in the bottom of the eighth on a solo home run by Dylan Crews, his sixth of the season. The Nationals could not mount a further comeback. Gregory Soto earned the win for Pittsburgh, working two innings and allowing one earned run on one hit with two strikeouts. He improved to 5-2. Brad Lord took the loss for Washington, allowing five runs on seven hits over four innings, falling to 5-2. Key performances for Pittsburgh included Brandon Lowe, who went 1-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs. Konnor Griffin finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Bryan Reynolds went 1-for-5 with a home run and one RBI. For Washington, Dylan Crews went 1-for-3 with a home run and one RBI. On the mound, Pittsburgh relievers provided solid support. Mason Montgomery worked a scoreless inning with one strikeout. Isaac Mattson allowed two hits but no earned runs in one inning, striking out one. Dennis Santana tossed a scoreless inning with one hit allowed. For Washington, Orlando Ribalta pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts. P.J. Poulin allowed one hit in two-thirds of an inning without allowing a run. The game, which began in the afternoon and stretched into the evening, lasted three hours, 28 minutes and drew an announced attendance of 19,587. Pittsburgh will return home to face the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, while Washington hosts the Houston Astros on Monday. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Washington 6, Pittsburgh 5. Interstat’s ELO system gave Washington a 50.70 percent probability to win. Washington had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The combined total of 16 runs went under the over/under line of 9.5.

WASHINGTON (Interstat) — The Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals conclude their four-game series Sunday with a split doubleheader at Nationals Park, with first pitch scheduled for the afternoon and evening under clear skies and a forecasted 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The Pirates (45-45) evened the series Saturday with a 7-1 victory, snapping a five-game losing streak in the head-to-head matchup dating to April. Pittsburgh has won five of its last seven overall games. Washington (46-44) rebounded from a sweep at Boston to take the series opener Friday, 9-5, before Saturday’s loss. The Nationals have dropped four of their last six. Right-hander Braxton Ashcraft (4-0, 1.93 ERA in his last five starts) is scheduled to start for Pittsburgh in one of the two games. Ashcraft earned the win Saturday in the series opener, allowing one earned run on six hits over 5 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts. He has posted quality starts in four of his last five outings, including a 10-strikeout performance against Seattle on June 24. Right-hander Zack Littell (3-3, 5.40 ERA over his last five starts) is expected to start for Washington in one of the games. Littell took the loss Saturday opposite Ashcraft, allowing one earned run on four hits over six innings with three strikeouts. He has struggled with consistency, allowing four earned runs in a loss to Kansas City on June 17 and failing to complete two innings against Seattle on June 12. The most recent head-to-head meeting (Interstat) — Saturday’s contest (Interstat) — featured strong relief work from Pittsburgh’s Cam Sanders and Dennis Santana, each tossing a scoreless inning. Washington’s James Wood homered and drove in a run in the loss. The series has been high-scoring: Washington won 9-5 on Friday, and the clubs combined for 21 runs in a 9-8 Nationals victory on April 16 at PNC Park. Pittsburgh took the other two games in that April series, including a 16-5 rout. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-5 Nationals victory. Following the doubleheader, Pittsburgh returns home to face Atlanta on Tuesday for a three-game series. Washington hosts Houston on Monday for a three-game set. Both teams sit near .500 and are looking to gain momentum heading into the All-Star break. The heat is expected to be a factor for position players and bullpens in the twin bill.