PITTSBURGH – Blake Butera could finally take a breath as he got set to hold his postgame press conference.
“Never a doubt,” the Nationals’ first-year manager said with a smile.
Oh, there was doubt, but the Nationals showed resiliency on Thursday as they defeated the Pirates 8-7 in 10 innings at PNC Park. The Nationals split the four-game series and went 5-2 on a road trip that started with a sweep of the Brewers last weekend.
The Nationals (9-10) couldn’t hold a 4-0 lead in the fifth and then saw the Pirates rally for a run in the bottom of the ninth to tie the score at 7-7 and force extra innings.
The Nationals then went ahead in the 10th when James Wood hit a one-out RBI single. Orlando Ribalta made the one-run lead stand up by getting out of a first-and-third jam with no outs for his first career save.
“I think what you saw today was what we’ve talked about a lot,” Butera said. “These guys don’t back down. They don’t give up regardless of the score, regardless of whether the ball is going their way. They just continue to ring the bell, and step up to the occasion, and continue to impress.”
Wood driving in the winning run was not a surprise. He was the National League Player of the Week last week and is one of the game’s emerging stars.
However, Ribalta getting the save was unexpected. He came on to start the 10th after Clayton Beeter (1-0) got the win despite blowing the save.
“You just got to slow it down, relax, and treat it like a regular game,” Ribalta said of being in a save situation. “I’ve always wanted that save. So, it was a good deal to me to help the team win and make it fun.”
The highest-scoring team in the Majors at the conclusion of Thursday’s game, the Nationals did not knock the ball around. Instead, they were opportunistic in the finale of a four-game series.
The Nationals took advantage of the sloppy defense of Pirates rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin and the wildness of reliever Yohan Ramírez to score six of their first seven runs.
With the game scoreless in the top of the fifth inning, the Nationals had the bases loaded with one out when Luis García Jr. hit a ground ball just to the left of second base. Griffin fielded it but didn’t get to the bag in time to force Nasim Nuñez, and then spiked the ball when he tried to throw to first base.
Three runs scored on the play. García then came home on a wild pickoff throw by pitcher Braxton Ashcraft.
“That was a crazy play,” Wood said with a smile. “There was a lot going on there.”
Trailing 6-5, the Nationals loaded the bases with two outs against Ramírez in the seventh and scored twice. Jacob Young was hit by a pitch to force in a run, and then the Nationals went ahead when Daylen Lile scored on a wild pitch.
Drew Millas had two of the Nationals’ 10 hits, as did Wood and Lile. Joey Wiemer pinch hit for Millas in the top of the sixth and delivered an RBI double that briefly put the Nats ahead 5-4.
Left-hander Foster Griffin, who started the game for Washington, held the Pirates scoreless over the first four innings before allowing four runs in the fifth to tie it.
“You look at the whole game, and it was really back and forth,” Griffin said. “So, I think it’s super great that we were able to get the win here."