Nick Gonzales drives in 3 runs as the Pirates beat the Nationals 9-4, a night after being no-hit

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nick Gonzales highlighted a five-run second inning with a two-run single and finished with three RBIs as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Washington Nationals 9-4 on Thursday, one night after being no-hit.

Oneil Cruz had a sharply hit a two-out double to right in the opening inning for the Pirates' first hit after managing just three baserunners — two walks and an error — against Chicago a night earlier when the Cubs' Shota Imanaga, Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge combined on a no-hitter.

Gonzales softly grounded to third, ending that threat and the Pirates trailing 3-0. But Gonzales bounced back and brought in two runs with a single to right in the second inning after Jared Triolo, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Bryan Reynolds had run-scoring hits.

“Have to do whatever it takes to get back out there. No-hit yesterday doesn’t really mean anything today,” Gonzales said. “I think we just had a good plan from the get-go, a good idea of what we wanted to do against the pitcher and kind of just stuck with it.”

Yasmani Grandal extended Pittsburgh’s lead to 6-3 in the third with a single to right off Jake Irvin (9-12), who gave up six runs, seven hits and three walks in five innings.

Triolo scored on a passed ball in the sixth. Eduardo Salazar replaced Joe La Sosa and walked Gonzales and Rowdy Tellez with the bases loaded.

Pittsburgh had eight hits and a season-high nine walks.

“This is a team that doesn't walk a lot of people,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “I think they throw the third-most amount of strikes in baseball and we had, what, eight or nine walks? Had really good at-bats, had consecutive walks. Then got some big two-out hits. Nick's big two-out hit there.”

Pittsburgh starter Bailey Falter (7-7) worked five innings, allowing seven hits and three runs, all coming in the first four at-bats of the game.

Aroldis Chapman got the final two outs, striking out one, with the bases loaded for his sixth save of the season after Joey Wentz allowed a single to Nasim Nuñez and two walks before hitting Andrés Chaparro to bring in a run in the ninth.

“It was about timely hitting. We left a lot of guys on base,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “We finish the game off with the bases loaded. We have to do a better job. We scored early. Next inning, we came out and had a couple runners on. We had a chance to put them away right there and we didn't do it.”

Juan Yepez put Washington ahead with an RBI double to right. Chaparro then sent Falter’s hanging curveball 419 feet into the left-field bleachers for a two-run homer, the third of his rookie season.

“First inning was pretty rough," Falter said. "Just had to battle, try to be as consistent as possible and try to get outs with what I had. For the second, third, fourth and fifth innings, thought we did pretty well.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: RHP Trevor Williams, on the injured list since June 4 with a right flexor muscle strain, threw 59 pitches before the game Thursday. He will be evaluated Friday and, if signs are positive, could be sent on a rehab assignment, Martinez said.

Pirates: Wentz was activated after being claimed off waivers from Detroit on Tuesday. RHP Domingo Germán was designated for assignment to make room on the 28-man active roster.

UP NEXT

RHP Luis Ortiz (6-4, 3.19 ERA) will take the mound for the Pirates on Friday, continuing the four-game series opposite Nationals rookie LHP DJ Herz (2-7, 4.09).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Wes Crosby, The Associated Press