
'It's all basketball': LaMelo says no rift with Bam
LaMelo Ball relieved Bam Adebayo's injury isn't serious after tripping him in game.
Orlando Ribalta emerged as an unexpected hero for the Nationals in their extra-inning game against the Pirates, helping secure an 8-7 lead in the 10th inning. The Nationals improvised their pitching strategy during the extra innings.
Mentioned in this story
Nationals' Orlando Ribalta was entirely unexpected hero vs. Pirates originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Teams don't really make a pitching plan for extra innings.
They try to win the game in nine frames, and when it goes extras -- like Nationals-Pirates did on Thursday -- they improvise.
Orlando Ribalta proved great at the improvisation on Thursday in Pittsburgh.
The Nats took an 8-7 lead in the top of the 10th when James Wood singled home the bonus runner from second base.
Ribalta entered for the bottom half, and despite giving up a leadoff infield single to Konnor Griffin, he saved the game.
The righty Ribalta struck out Bryan Reynolds, then he got the speedy Jake Mangum to ground into a double play.
MORE:A magical no-hit bid for the Cleveland Guardians
Ribalta was credited with a game-high 44.8 Win Probability Added. It makes sense, given he entered with a one-run lead and three outs to get while a guy was already on second base.
Still, Ribalta is an unlikely hero. Before this season, he had pitched in 26 MLB games and had a 7.81 ERA.
But he has now worked two scoreless innings this season for Washington. And this one was a big one.
He's got solid stuff -- his heater to strike out Reynolds was 96.9 miles per hour.
Orlando Ribalta is a pitcher for the Nationals who played a crucial role in their extra-inning game against the Pirates, helping the team take an 8-7 lead.
The Nationals won the game against the Pirates with a final score of 8-7.
The Nationals scored in the 10th inning when James Wood singled home the bonus runner from second base.

LaMelo Ball relieved Bam Adebayo's injury isn't serious after tripping him in game.

Get ready for $150 train fares from NYC to MetLife Stadium for World Cup matches!

Texans and Will Anderson Jr. agree to historic $150M extension!

Avalanche lead Stanley Cup odds, but Sabres intrigue bettors

2026 NBA Playoffs: Must-See Matchups Including LeBron vs. Durant
Barcelona targets Vedat Muriqi if they can't sign Julian Alvarez
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
The next step for Ribalta will be continuing to deliver in high-leverage spots. This one was almost by accident, just the byproduct of being in extra innings.
But if the Nats trust him again in a big spot, potentially on purpose this time, he'll have this experience to draw on to try and gain confidence and prove himself.