Bailey Falter recovers from rough start as Pirates' offense leads victory over Nationals

One night removed from being no-hit by the Chicago Cubs, the Pittsburgh Pirates kicked off their season-long 10-game homestand with a 9-4 win over the Washington Nationals at PNC Park on Thursday.

The Pirates used a five-run second inning to overcome Bailey Falter’s rough start to the game, collecting a season-high nine walks in front of 10,155 fans.

“We did a good job,” said manager Derek Shelton. “We got behind early but continued to have good at-bats. (Washington) is a team that doesn’t walk a lot of people — I think they throw the third-most amount of strikes in baseball, and we had nine walks and really good at-bats.”

Falter (7-7, 4.45 ERA) picked up the win, settling down after a three-run first.

He went on to deliver four straight scoreless innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts over five frames.

“First inning was pretty rough,” he 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.”

Dylan Crews, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2023 behind Paul Skenes, led off the game with an infield single, stole second base and scored on Juan Yepez’s RBI double.

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The Nationals then took a 3-0 lead when Andres Chaparro hit a two-run homer.

The Pirates (66-74) responded in the bottom of the second, working Nationals starter Jake Irvin for five runs and four hits.

The rally started when Jared Triolo drove in Connor Joe, who walked, with an RBI single.

Triolo’s hit moved Yasmani Grandal, who also walked, to third, and he scored on Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s RBI single, making it 3-2.

That brought Bryan Reynolds to the plate with two outs and runners on the corners.

A soft RBI single through the right side of the infield plated Triolo and evened the score at 3-3.

Cruz then walked, loading the bases for Nick Gonzales.

He, too, delivered, driving in two with a single into right field to put the Pirates up 5-3.

“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,” said Gonzales, who finished with a team-high three RBIs.

Joe led off the third with a double, and thanks to a botched pickoff attempt, took third base.

That set up Grandal, who singled him home to make it 6-3.

Irvin’s outing ended after five innings, with six runs allowed on seven hits.

In the sixth, with the bases loaded and Cruz at the plate, the Pirates went up 7-3 when Triolo broke for home after a passed ball by Washington catcher Keibert Ruiz.

Nationals pitcher Joe La Sorsa then plunked Cruz, loading the bases again for Gonzales.

La Sorsa was promptly removed from the game, replaced by Eduardo Salazar, who immediately walked in a run, putting the Pirates in front 8-3.

Tellez then drew a base on balls, bringing in another run for a 9-3 lead before Joe lined out to end the inning.

Carmen Mlodzinski took over for Falter and pitched a scoreless sixth, and Dennis Santana delivered a clean seventh inning.

Kyle Nicolas then pitched a scoreless eighth, with Joe making a diving, inning-ending catch in right field, robbing Ruiz.

In the ninth, the Pirates turned to new addition Joey Wentz, who was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Tigers.

Making his team debut, Wentz walked two and allowed a single before hitting Chaparro with a pitch, which scored a run and led to his removal with one out.

Aroldis Chapman then came in and recorded the final two outs, including a strikeout, picking up his sixth save of the season.