Pirates Defeat Nationals Behind Paul Skenes Start
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates got a great start from right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes, as they defeated the Washingotn Nationals 10-3 at PNC Park.
The win ends a three-game losing streak for the Pirates, who suffered a road sweep from the rival Cincinnati Reds over the weekend.
It also makes it back-to-back wins at home, as they beat the St. Louis Cardinals on April 9 2-1 in 13 innings, and they improve to 4-3 at PNC Park this season.
The Pirates got two quick outs to start the bottom of the first inning, until right fielder Andrew McCutchen hit a single.
First baseman Enmanuel Valdez would walk and then third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes hit a single to right field, scoring McCutchen. Hayes would go too far off the first base bag, and got tagged out on the way back, ending the inning.
Ke'Bryan Hayes gives the Pirates the lead!
— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) April 14, 2025
NECKLACES.
101.7 MPH exit velocity, .640 xBA pic.twitter.com/dC9KlzGoJe
Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz smashed a ball of the left field wall with one out in the bottom of the third inning, making it to second base on a double with one out.
Designated hitter Bryan Reynolds came through on the very next pitch, singling to center field and scoring Cruz to double the Pirates lead at 2-0.
Skenes dominated the Nationals through five innings, allowing just a single and hitting a batter, with six strikeouts.
The Pirates got going early in the bottom of the fifth inning, as left fielder Tommy Pham walked and second baseman Adam Frazier singled to start out.
Shortsto Isiah Kiner-Falefa bunted, moving Pham and Frazier up one base, and then Cruz hit skied a ball to short right field, that Nationals right fielder Alex Call just missed, dropping for a single, which loaded the bases.
Reynolds came through for the Pirates again, hitting a sacrifice fly to center field and scoring Pham, making it 3-0.
McCutchen walked and then Valdez singled to right field, scoring both Frazier and Cruz. Valdez would go to second base after the throw home, but he got tagged out, ending the inning with Pittsburgh leading 5-0.
Skenes struggled a little in the sixth inning, allowing a lead-off double to Nationals shortstop Nasim Nunez and then Hayes couldn't field a ball at third base, allowing Nunez to move up and Call to make it to first base with no outs.
He would get Nationals left fielder James Wood to ground into a fielder's choice which scored Nunez and got Call out at second base.
Skenes forced Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz to hit a liner for the second out, but his pickoff to first base went past Valdez's glove, moving Wood to third base.
He would then allow a single to first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, scoring Wood, and trimming the Nationals' deficit to 5-2.
Skenes got former Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman infielder in Josh Bell to ground out, ending his outing after six innings and 99 pitches.
Washington would get a run off of Pirates left-handed relief pitcher Caleb Ferguson, with Ruiz singling with two outs and scoring Nuñez from third base, making it a two-run game at 5-3.
Pittsburgh started the bottom of the eighth inning with a single from Reynolds and a walk from McCutchen.
Valdez had another big hit, with his going down the first base line, scoring Reynolds, moving McCutchen to third base and getting into second base with a double with no outs.
Still time... Enmanuel Valdez has his 3rd RBI of the night!!! https://t.co/2IvV42sFKB pic.twitter.com/hXYCBdrlnD
— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) April 15, 2025
Hayes joined in and hit a single, scoring both McCutchen and Valdez, increasing the Pirates' lead to 8-3.
Come for the 2 runs driven in by Ke'Bryan Hayes, stay for the celebration
— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) April 15, 2025
NECKLACES.
106.1 MPH exit velocity, .660 xBA pic.twitter.com/F9rwjdefmM
Catcher Henry Davis struckout, but Hayes stole second base and then Pham singled, scoring Hayes and making it 9-3.
Frazier and Kiner-Falefa both singled afterwards, scoring Pham and increasing Pittsburgh's advantage to 10-3.
This was the most runs the Pirates have scored in a game this season and the first time they got into double-digits runs since a 14-10 road loss to the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 28, 2024.
The Pirates will face the Nationals for the second game of their four-game series on April 15, with first pitch set for 6:40 p.m.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.