A Tough Night in Pittsburgh
Well, Nationals fans, it wasn’t the night we hoped for in Pittsburgh as the Buccos took us down with a final score of 6-1. It was quite a quiet night on the offensive end for us, but not without its moments of hustle and heart. Let’s break down the game a bit.Pitching Duel Early On
The game started with both the Nats and Pirates pitchers in control. While both teams tried to gain some early momentum, there were no runs scored in the first four innings. James Wood managed to get on base with a single but was unfortunately caught stealing, and Keibert Ruiz was unlucky to strike out looking. Our pitchers held strong, though, ringing up Ke’Bryan Hayes, Bryan Reynolds, and Andrew McCutchen with ease in the first.Pirates Break Through
The Pirates struck first with a homer by Henry Davis in the 5th inning, putting them on top 1-0. Despite a solid showing from Luis García Jr. with a walk, the Nats just couldn’t get the bats cracking. Things took a turn in the 7th when Oneil Cruz blasted a grand slam, widening the gap to 6-0. Ouch! That was a tough pill to swallow for our bullpen.A Silver Lining in the 9th
In the 9th, Dylan Crews and Luis García Jr. got on base, and Alex Call managed a sacrifice fly that allowed Crews to come home, avoiding a shutout for the Nats. While we couldn’t engineer a miraculous comeback, that run was a small victory to take from an otherwise challenging game.Nationals fans, it was a rough outing, but there were glimmers of promise in the Nats effort tonight!
Let’s rally behind our team, grab some Franks, and go strong into the next game. We know this squad has determination and spirit! On to the next one! 
Scoreboard for Nationals @ Pirates (April 16th, 2025)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |