Mitch Keller (6-5, 5.02 ERA) got the ball for Pittsburgh looking to build on a win over Cincinnati, while Foster Griffin (8-2, 2.87 ERA) started for Washington coming off a scoreless, 9-strikeout turn against Baltimore.
Griffin's brilliance carries extra weight for a Nationals staff that's been gutted this year, with Josiah Gray, DJ Herz, Jake Irvin and Trevor Williams all parked on the injured list. On the other side, Pittsburgh is still without Oneil Cruz and Spencer Horwitz, both expected back around the All-Star break at the earliest, which left the lineup thinner than it should be against a pitcher this locked in.
The market had Washington as the clear favorite going in, and the Nationals wasted no time backing that up. They scored in the first, added another in the second, and blew it open with a 3-run third to take a 5-0 lead before the Pirates had found any footing.
- Day-To-DayJared Jones SP — no
- 10-Day-ILSpencer Horwitz 1B — Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Horwitz (hamstring) will remain sidelined for "weeks, not days," and the first baseman isn't expected to return from the 10-day injured list until after the All-Star break, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
- 10-Day-ILOneil Cruz CF — Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that he expects Cruz (hand) to return from the 10-day injured list at some point in July, most likely after the All-Star break, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
- 15-Day-ILWilber Dotel RP — Dotel (lat) will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Altoona on Saturday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILChris Devenski RP — Devenski (illness) was transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL on Sunday.
- 15-Day-ILRichard Lovelady RP — The Nationals placed Lovelady on the 15-day injured list Monday with a left triceps strain.
- 15-Day-ILJake Irvin SP — Irvin (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Kyle Williams of TheBanner.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILMitchell Parker RP — The Nationals transferred Parker (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
- 60-Day-ILTrevor Williams SP — Williams (elbow) struck out a batter and allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits and no walks while recording two outs in a rehab start Sunday with Single-A Fredericksburg.
- 60-Day-ILDJ Herz SP — Herz (elbow) was diagnosed Monday with a left flexor strain, Kyle Williams of TheBanner.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILMax Kranick RP — Kranick (elbow) began a rehab assignment with Single-A Fredericksburg on Sunday, striking out two over 1.2 perfect innings.
- 60-Day-ILKen Waldichuk RP — Waldichuk (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure April 21 and is hopeful to return to game action at some point early in the 2027 season, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILJosiah Gray SP — Gray (elbow) has resumed a throwing program, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.
Pittsburgh finally scratched across a run in the third to avoid the shutout, but Washington kept pouring it on with 2 more in the seventh and 2 more in the eighth, pushing the lead to 9-1 and putting the game out of reach.
The Pirates didn't fold quietly. They strung together a 4-run ninth that made the final margin look a lot closer than the game actually felt, finishing with 13 hits to Washington's 12. It wasn't enough against a Nationals club that's now won 4 of its last 5 and looks like it's rounding into form at the right time.
Two errors on the Washington side kept the door cracked, but Griffin's early work and the offense's fast start did enough damage that Pittsburgh's late rally was really just window dressing on a game that was decided in the first three innings.