PITTSBURGH — The Washington Nationals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 on Tuesday night, April 15, at PNC Park, powered by a stellar performance from starting pitcher Jake Irvin and a first-inning home run by James Wood. The Nationals (7-10, 4th NL East) snapped a two-game skid, while the Pirates (6-12, 5th NL Central) were held scoreless for the second time this season.
Irvin (1-0, 3.91 ERA) dominated over seven innings, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out six to earn his first win of 2025. The right-hander retired 14 of the final 15 batters he faced, stifling a Pirates offense that managed only four hits. Jose Ferrer tossed a scoreless eighth, and Kyle Finnegan secured his sixth save with a perfect ninth, striking out two.
The Nationals struck early against Pirates starter Mitch Keller (1-2, 4.30 ERA). Wood led off the game with his sixth home run of the season, a solo shot to right field, giving Washington a 1-0 lead. Keller settled in but struggled again in the sixth, when Dylan Crews singled and stole second, and Nasim Nuñez delivered a two-run single with two outs, scoring Crews and Amed Rosario, who had pinch-run for Paul DeJong. Nuñez, batting .571, finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Washington’s offense produced eight hits, with Nate Lowe also going 2-for-4 and stealing his first base of the season. Luis García Jr. doubled, and Jacob Young added a single and a walk. The Nationals went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position but capitalized on key opportunities. Pittsburgh’s defense faltered, with an error by right fielder Tommy Pham contributing to Washington’s sixth-inning rally.
Keller allowed three runs on six hits over six innings, with two walks, three strikeouts, and a hit batter. Relievers Ryan Borucki, Carmen Mlodzinski, and Matt Mayza held the Nationals scoreless over the final three innings, but Pittsburgh’s bats couldn’t respond. Jack Suwinski led the Pirates with two hits, while Henry Davis and Pham each singled. The Pirates went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position and left five runners on base, hitting into one double play.
Irvin’s outing marked his strongest performance of the season, lowering his ERA from 5.73. According to MLB.com, his ability to mix a fastball and curveball kept Pittsburgh’s hitters off balance. The Nationals’ bullpen, ranked among the league’s best, continued its dominance, with Finnegan’s 1.17 ERA leading all NL closers.
The game, played in 46-degree cloudy conditions with 14 mph winds, drew 8,340 fans and lasted 2 hours and 16 minutes. The Nationals improved to 3-4 on their road trip, while the Pirates dropped their fourth straight home game. Both teams will meet again Wednesday at PNC Park for the second of a three-game series, with first pitch at 6:30 p.m.
