Game Log: July 4, 2026 @ Nationals
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIT | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 0 |
| WSH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
The Pirates bounced back to beat the Nationals 7-1 and get back to 45-45. Braxton Ashcraft gave them a strong start, and the offense put the game away early against Jake Palmquist.
The Pirates jumped out in the first and never trailed after that. James Wood led off the bottom of the first with a homer to tie it at 1-1, but that was all Washington had all day. The Pirates went to work in the second, scoring four to make it 5-1. Henry Davis singled home Nick Gonzales, and Brandon Lowe followed with a two-run single that scored Mangum and Callihan. Palmquist did not get out of the second, giving up four runs on four hits.
Ashcraft was steady from there. He went five and two-thirds, gave up the one run on the Wood homer, and struck out seven. On a hot afternoon he kept the Nationals off balance and did not let the early lead get away.
The bullpen closed it out. Ramírez, Montgomery, Santana, and Sanders combined for the last three and a third, all scoreless. The Nationals never got anything going against them.
The Pirates added two more in the eighth to push it to 7-1. They finished with 11 hits and six-for-15 with runners in scoring position, a better job cashing chances than they did the night before. Getting back to .500 with the pitching leading the way, on to the finale.
Ashcraft was strong again. Five and two-thirds, one run, seven strikeouts. The only damage was a leadoff homer in the first.
The bats jumped on them early. Five runs over the first two innings chased Palmquist before he recorded three outs.
The pen finished the job. Four scoreless innings behind Ashcraft to close it out.