Sports Network | September 3, 2010
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.
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.
Zach Duke (7-12) lasted five-plus innings, giving up four runs, five hits and three walks while fanning five for the win.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tabata followed with a single, and Neil Walker walked, leading to Jones’ two- run double for a 3-1 contest.
Doumit’s leadoff blast in the fourth increased Pittsburgh’s lead, and the Pirates added four more runs in the fifth.
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.
Washington came back with four in the sixth to close the gap.
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.
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.
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.
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.