SB Nation DC - Nationals Open Series With 8-5 Loss To Pirateshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48897/dc-fave.png2010-09-03T22:34:53-04:00http://dc.sbnation.com/rss/stream/14323582010-09-03T22:34:53-04:002010-09-03T22:34:53-04:00Pirates Beat Nationals 8-5
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<p>Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Garrett Jones hit two doubles and drove in three runs, leading Pittsburgh to an 8-5 win over Washington to begin a three- game weekend series at PNC Park.</p>
<p>Ryan Doumit homered among three hits for the Pirates, who had lost five of their last six. Pedro Alvarez drove in two runs, while Jose Tabata and Ronny Cedeno each had two hits in the win.</p>
<p>Zach Duke (7-12) lasted five-plus innings, giving up four runs, five hits and three walks while fanning five for the win.</p>
<p>Danny Espinosa hit his first career home run for the Nationals, who have lost three straight. Adam Dunn and Justin Maxwell each drove in a run in defeat.</p>
<p>Livan Hernandez (9-10) was pounded for eight runs on eight hits and two walks in just 4 1/3 innings to take the loss.</p>
<p>Nationals outfielder Nyjer Morgan, who found out Friday that he had been suspended eight additional games on top of a previous seven-game suspension after fighting with Marlins pitcher Chris Volstad on Wednesday, went 0-for-4.</p>
<p>Espinosa's homer in his second career game leading off the third gave Washington the early lead, but Pittsburgh answered with three runs in the home half to go ahead for good.</p>
<p>Cedeno led off with a double and moved to third on Duke's sacrifice bunt. Andrew McCutchen followed with a sacrifice fly for a tie game.</p>
<p>Tabata followed with a single, and Neil Walker walked, leading to Jones' two- run double for a 3-1 contest.</p>
<p>Doumit's leadoff blast in the fourth increased Pittsburgh's lead, and the Pirates added four more runs in the fifth.</p>
<p>Tabata and Walker hit back-to-back one-out singles, and Jones followed with another double to plate Tabata. Alvarez added two more runs with a double to right, and Doumit capped off the inning with an RBI single for an 8-1 game.</p>
<p>Washington came back with four in the sixth to close the gap.</p>
<p>Ian Desmond walked and Ryan Zimmerman singled to start the rally. Dunn plated Desmond with a base hit, and Mike Morse drew a walk to load the bases with nobody out, ending Duke's start.</p>
<p>Sean Gallagher came in and got Ivan Rodriguez to ground into a 5-3 double play, scoring a run, and Maxwell and Espinosa followed with an RBI hit apiece to make it a three-run game again.</p>
<p>Wilfredo Ledezma, Chan Ho Park, Brian Burres and Chris Resop combined to pitch a scoreless seventh and eighth, and Joel Hanrahan pitched around a two-out single in the ninth for his third save.</p>
<p>Game Notes</p>
<p>The eight runs allowed and 4 1/3 innings pitched both tied season-worsts for Hernandez...Hernandez was looking for his 10th win, which would have been the 11th time in his career he's accomplished the feat...The Pirates snapped a five-game losing streak to Washington...Walker has a 10-game hit streak.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2010/9/3/1668778/pirates-beat-nationals-8-5Martin Shatzer2010-09-03T17:30:43-04:002010-09-03T17:30:43-04:00Preview: Nationals Travel To Pittsburgh To Take On Pirates
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<p>(Sports Network) - Ageless right-hander <span>Livan Hernandez</span> can reach double-digit wins for the 11th time in his big-league career tonight when the soon-to-be- shorthanded <a href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Washington Nationals</a> visit the <a href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pittsburgh Pirates</a> for the first of three games at PNC Park.</p>
<p>Hernandez, a 35-year-old Cuban native, picked up the ninth win of a resurgent 2010 season on Aug. 28 against St. Louis, when he allowed eight hits and five runs in 6 1/3 innings of Washington's 14-5 defeat of the <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cardinals</a>.</p>
<p>He reached 10 wins for the first time as a 23-year-old Florida Marlin in 1998, then reached 10 or more for nine consecutive seasons between 2000 and 2008.</p>
<p>The 6-foot-2, 245-pounder skidded to nine wins while making 31 starts with the Nationals and <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Mets</a> last season and carrying a plus-5.00 earned run average across 183 2/3 innings.</p>
<p>He is 5-4 in 15 lifetime starts against the Pirates, including a 4-2 win on June 10 in Washington, where he surrendered five hits and two runs in six innings.</p>
<p>The Nationals expect to get a decision today on outfielder <span>Nyjer Morgan</span>, who faces suspension after charging the mound during Wednesday's game against Florida. Morgan had already appealed a seven-game penalty incurred when he threw a ball into the stands in Philadelphia in August.</p>
<p>For Pittsburgh, Texas-born lefty <span>Zach Duke</span> can make it two straight victories in a season where he's lost twice as much as he's won. The 27-year-old beat the Mets, 2-1, in an Aug. 22 start at PNC Park, allowing five hits and one run in seven innings.</p>
<p>He's started once since and picked up a no-decision in the Pirates' 8-7 loss at Milwaukee on Aug. 28.</p>
<p>Duke, who is 1-2 in five starts against Washington, was on the losing side of the June 10 matchup with Hernandez after being touched for eight hits and three runs in five innings.</p>
<p>He's won just four of 16 decisions since starting the season with two straight wins and the Pirates are 8-15 in the 22 games he's pitched.</p>
<p>On Wednesday in Chicago, <span>Kosuke Fukudome</span> finished 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and an RBI as the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cubs</a> set aside Pittsburgh, 5-3, in the finale of a three-game set from Wrigley Field.</p>
<p>Neal Walker had three hits including a solo homer while <span>Andrew McCutchen</span> drove in two runs for the Pirates, who have lost five of six.</p>
<p><span>James McDonald</span> (2-5) took the loss after yielding eight hits and three runs, fanning six and walking two over five full frames.</p>
<p>In Miami, <span>Wes Helms</span> drove in five runs and Florida blew out the Nationals, 16-10, in a game marred by the aforementioned sixth-inning fracas.</p>
<p><span>Ian Desmond</span> ended with three hits and two RBI for Washington.</p>
<p>Nationals starter <span>Scott Olsen</span> (3-8) allowed eight hits and nine runs in 1 2/3 innings and lost his sixth straight start.</p>
<p>Washington swept a three-game set from the Pirates back in June.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2010/9/3/2320434/preview-nationals-travel-to-pittsburgh-to-take-on-piratesMartin Shatzer