PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Washington Nationals 6-1 on April 16, 2025, at PNC Park, driven by a late offensive surge and strong pitching from starter Bailey Falter. The victory moved the Pirates to 7-12, placing them fifth in the National League Central, while the Nationals dropped to 7-11, fourth in the NL East.
The Pirates broke through in the fifth inning when catcher Henry Davis hit a solo home run off Nationals starter Mitchell Parker, his first of the season, to take a 1-0 lead. The game’s decisive moment came in the seventh, when Oneil Cruz delivered a grand slam off reliever Eduardo Salazar, driving in four runs to cap a five-run inning. Cruz’s home run, his third of 2025, followed a bases-loaded situation fueled by a hit-by-pitch and a walk from reliever Jorge López, who was ejected by home plate umpire Ron Kulpa after the play for arguing balls and strikes, per MLB.com.
Falter earned the win, improving to 1-2 with seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out two. His performance lowered his ERA to 4.91. Relievers Caleb Ferguson and Tyler Shugart closed out the game, with Shugart allowing the Nationals’ lone run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Alex Call. “Falter was outstanding, keeping their hitters off balance,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton, as reported by ESPN.
The Nationals struggled offensively, managing just three hits. Parker took the loss, falling to 2-1 after allowing one run on four hits over six innings with six strikeouts, maintaining a 1.85 ERA. However, the bullpen faltered, with López and Salazar surrendering five runs in the seventh. Dylan Crews scored Washington’s only run in the ninth, driven in by Call’s flyout. The Nationals’ offense went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position and hit into two double plays, limiting their chances, according to Baseball-Reference.
Pittsburgh’s defense was sharp, turning two double plays to stifle Washington’s rallies, while the Nationals’ lone defensive highlight was an outfield assist by James Wood, throwing out Tommy Pham at first base. Wood was caught stealing in the second, one of few Washington base-running attempts. The Pirates’ eight hits included doubles by Adam Frazier and multi-hit games from Cruz and Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
The game, attended by 8,529 fans, was played under clear skies with a temperature of 52 degrees and a 14 mph wind blowing out to right field. It lasted 2 hours and 17 minutes, starting at 6:41 p.m. Umpires were Ron Kulpa (home plate), Cory Blaser (first base), Manny Gonzalez (second base), and Alex Tosi (third base).
The Pirates’ win highlighted their ability to capitalize on late opportunities, with Cruz’s grand slam proving pivotal. For the Nationals, the loss underscored ongoing struggles with timely hitting, as manager Dave Martinez noted in postgame comments to MASN Sport. Both teams continue their series in Pittsburgh, with Washington aiming to regroup and Pittsburgh seeking to build momentum.
