Nationals drop to Pirates 8-4 in home opener

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1983, beating the Washington Nationals 8-4 on Monday during the Nats’ home opener.

Michael A. Taylor, a former member of the Nationals, had three hits, and Bryan Reynolds, Andrew McCutchen, Alika Williams and Henry Davis delivered two apiece. Reynolds stretched his on-base streak to 33 consecutive games dating to last season with a first-inning single and tacked on a two-run double in the ninth.

Pittsburgh led 3-1 entering the seventh, but backup catcher Riley Adams — playing for the first time this season — tied the game for Washington by depositing a four-seam fastball 427 feet off reliever Roansy Contreras for a two-run homer. Contreras (1-0), though, got the win.

That’s because his teammates produced a three-run eighth off relievers Robert Garcia (0-1) and Matt Barnes. The big hit was Joe’s double to left that scored Taylor, who reached on a bunt. Ke’Bryan Hayes and McCutchen also drove in runs.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez had used his top two relievers, Kyle Finnegan and Hunter Harvey, in each of the past two games, so he stayed away from them in front of an announced sellout crowd of 40,405 for the club’s home opener on a gray, dreary afternoon with the temperature in the low 50s.

Neither starting pitcher factored in the decision. Gonzales, acquired from Atlanta via trade in December, allowed one run in five-plus innings in his Pirates debut. Washington’s MacKenzie Gore gave up three runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out six batters and hitting two.

The Nationals are 1-3.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: LF Jesse Winker exited after the first inning — when he did not have an at-bat or a play in the field — and was replaced by Eddie Rosario. Martinez said after the game that Winker had a stomach illness, as did reliever Jordan Weems, who was not available to pitch.

UP NEXT

The series resumes Wednesday with Pirates RHP Mitch Keller facing Nationals RHP Trevor Williams.

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