The Nationals' winning streak ended with a 16-5 loss to the Pirates, despite CJ Abrams hitting a home run in the first inning. This defeat marks a setback after a successful road trip where they swept the Brewers.
Bullpen struggles end Nationals road success with 16-5 loss against Pirates
The Nationals were hot on the road, sweeping the Brewers this weekend. Their winning streak ended with a 16-5 loss in Pittsburgh on Monday, the first game of a four-game series.
CJ Abrams opened the first inning with a home run off a 99 mph fastball. With five home runs and 17 RBI through 16 games, he continues to earn a spot higher in the lineup.
CJ Abrams single homerun comes in the first inning.
However, the one-run lead would quickly be diminished by the Pirates in the bottom of the second inning. With three starts this season, Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli couldnāt manage to hold down the mound as he struggled to get the Pirates out.
In the second inning, Cavalli threw five straight balls, causing two walks and loading the bases. He also walked in a run, allowing the Pirates to lead 4-1 before half the game had passed.
With hopes of not letting the deficit grow larger for the Nationals, Manager Blake Butera made his way to the mound and relieved Cavalli despite him not pitching for even a full two innings. In his start tonight, the 27-year-old only managed to secure four outs.
Cavalli was relieved by Paxton Schultz.
Butera said he thought Cavalli looked good in the first inning, but in the second, it looked like he was fighting himself to find the zone.
The Pirates continued to rack up the runs, one by one, as they added to their lead as Spencer Horwitz homered 376 feet to right to make it 5-1 in the bottom of the third.
Pitching continued to be tested by the Nationals. Jackson Rutledge got his first major league start of the season in the bottom of the fifth inning. He had just been recalled from Triple-A Rochester.
Jackson Rutledge in his first major league start.
For Nationals fans, a sixth inning has never felt so long before. Run after run, the Pirates demolished every ball that was thrown their way. They capped off the inning 15-1. Nick Yorke was the only player in the Pirates lineup not to score a run during the sixth inning.
It only took trailing more than half the game before the Nationals tried to ignite an offensive spark in the seventh inning. Daylen Lile singled to right, followed by a Jacob Young 385-foot two-run homerun. For Young, this is the first time heās gotten the fifth position in the batting order since June of 2024.
After Jose Tena and Jorbit Vivas scored, the Nats cut their deficit to 15-5.
The Pirates would get their last run on the night in the bottom of the eighth.
The Nationals ended the night with one error that was tacked on early in the first inning. With tonight's loss, Butera will need to evaluate the critical changes that need to be made before suffering a deflating loss like this again.
The Nationals will search for redemption tomorrow at 6:40 p.m. in game two.
The Nationals' bullpen struggled significantly, contributing to the team's heavy loss.
CJ Abrams hit a home run in the first inning and has five home runs and 17 RBI over his last 16 games.
Before the loss, the Nationals had a successful road trip, sweeping the Brewers in their previous series.
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