WASHINGTON (AP) — Konnor Griffin had a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Washington Nationals 11-5 on Sunday in a game in which he was also spectacular in the field.
Brandon Lowe followed Griffin's key hit with a three-run homer off Brad Lord (5-2) to extend the lead.
Griffin, the 20-year-old who received a nine-year, $140 million contract in April, showed why the Pirates view him as such an important
part of their future. He made a diving stop in the third on Curtis Mead's grounder, but Mead beat the throw for an in-field single.
In the fourth, Griffin had to fight the sun on Keibert Ruiz's popup to shallow left field, making a diving, backhanded grab. The following inning, he made another backhanded, sliding catch in the outfield, although James Wood was able to tag up and beat the throw home, resulting in a rare sacrifice fly to the shortstop.
Gregory Soto (5-2) got the win in relief. The Pirates blew a 4-0 lead before going ahead for good with their five-run eighth. Bryan Reynolds also homered for Pittsburgh, and Luis García Jr. and Dylan Crews went deep for Washington.
Cade Cavalli, who is appealing a suspension for his role in Tuesday's bench-clearing dustup at Boston, allowed three earned runs and six hits in 2 1/3 innings. Tyler Callihan opened the scoring for Pittsburgh with a two-run single in the second, and after an error on Cavalli on a pickoff attempt, he scored on Jake Mangum's single.
Reynolds led off the fourth with his 13th homer of the year to make it 4-0.
García hit a two-run shot — his 19th — in the bottom of the third, and the Nationals scored runs in the fourth and fifth to tie it. Pirates starter Bubba Chandler allowed four runs in four-plus innings.
Griffin's hit with the bases loaded in the eighth put Pittsburgh up 6-4 and Lowe followed with a drive to right for his 21st homer. Crews went deep for the Nationals in the bottom of the inning.
Henry Davis hit a two-run single in the top of the ninth.
After an off day, the Pirates send Paul Skenes (6-8) to the mound Tuesday night at home against Atlanta.
Washington hosts Houston on Monday night. Miles Mikolas (2-7) — who also is appealing a suspension — starts for the Nationals.
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