Mitch Keller stars as Pittsburgh Pirates blank the Washington Nationals 2-0
Mitch Keller pitched eight innings of two-hit ball, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Thursday.
Keller (12-9) struck out seven and walked one. The 27-year-old right-hander improved to 3-1 with a 3.07 ERA in his last seven starts.
David Bednar pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 35th save.
Pittsburgh won the final three games of the four-game set against last-place Washington. The Pirates have won 11 of 16 overall.
The Nationals wasted a solid performance by Josiah Gray (7-12), who struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander was charged with two runs and five hits.
Pittsburgh jumped in front when Jack Suwinski led off the second with his team-high 25th homer on a drive to right. Alfonso Rivas connected with two out in the fifth, hitting a 411-foot shot to center for his third homer.
Washington put two runners on in the first when CJ Abrams hit a leadoff single and Lane Thomas reached on an error by shortstop Liover Peguero. But Keller retired Keibert Ruiz on a fly ball to left, picked off Abrams at second and struck out Joey Meneses.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Nationals: RHP Thaddeus Ward was reinstated from the 15-day injured list. He had a 7.12 ERA in 22 relief appearances this season before being placed on the IL with right shoulder inflammation on July 3. LHP Joe La Sorsa was optioned to Triple-A Rochester.
UP NEXT
Nationals: A starter has not been announced for Friday, the opener of a three-game series in Milwaukee.
Pirates: RHP Johan Oviedo (8-14, 4.34 ERA) will take the mound Friday, opening a three-game series opposite New York Yankees ace and former Pittsburgh right-hander Gerrit Cole (13-4, 2.79 ERA).