Braxton Ashcraft continued his recent run of excellence, securing his fourth straight start as the Pittsburgh Pirates rolled past the Washington Nationals 7‑1 on Saturday. He limited the Nationals to one run and six hits over 5 ⅔ innings, striking out seven batters.
Key Moments
Rookie Konnor Griffin sparked the offense with a daring double steal that resulted in a stolen home in the first inning, while James Wood answered with a leadoff homer that traveled 428 feet into the third deck in right field to tie the game early.
The Pirates quickly built momentum, as Henry Davis drove in a run with an infield single and Brandon Lowe followed with a two‑run single, before Esmerlyn Valdez added another run‑scoring hit to extend the lead.
Nationals’ Pitching
Starter Carson Palmquist loaded the bases with none out in the second before being replaced by Zack Littell, who worked six innings, allowing just one run while striking out three. Littell’s effort was supported by a late surge that saw Pittsburgh add two more runs off Riley Cornelio in the eighth.
Looking ahead, Pittsburgh’s right‑hander Bubba Chandler is scheduled to face Washington’s veteran Miles Mikolas in the series finale on Sunday, setting up a potential pitching duel to close out the three‑game stretch.