WASHINGTON — After their first loss and lowest-scoring game of the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates quickly recovered and scored four runs in the first inning, including a two-run single from Rowdy Tellez, leading to a 7-4 win over the Washington Nationals on Thursday.
Connor Joe hit his first home run of 2024, a two-run shot in the fifth inning, and Michael A. Taylor had three hits against his former team. Tellez, Oneil Cruz, and Bryan Reynolds each had two hits for the Pirates, who took a 7-1 lead and held on to it.
“A lot of people contributed,” said manager Derek Shelton, “which was great to see.”
Martín Pérez (1-0) pitched 6 2/3 innings on his 33rd birthday, allowing two runs and six hits while striking out six.
“We just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing,” Pérez said.
The Pirates finished their season-opening road trip with a 6-1 record and have scored at least six runs in all but one game, a 5-3 loss at Nationals Park on Wednesday.
“It feels like we’s been on the road for a long time,” said Shelton, whose club’s home opener comes Friday against the Baltimore Orioles.
After a 70-minute rain delay before Thursday’s first pitch, the Pirates took advantage of 2023 NL All-Star Josiah Gray (0-2), who left the game after 4 1/3 innings, allowing six runs, seven hits, and three walks. Nationals pitching coach Jim Hickey visited the mound to try to calm Gray down after he threw 12 balls in his first 22 pitches; he needed 33 throws to get the initial three outs.
“Honestly, I’m ashamed to come out here and perform like that in front of the guys. It doesn’t feel good. It doesn’t sit right with me,” said Gray, whose ERA dropped to 14.04 after his second difficult outing. “I know that I deserve better. They deserve better.”
The Nationals made gains and narrowed the gap to three runs in front of a crowd of just 11,135. Aroldis Chapman came in to get the last out of the eighth with two runners on base, and David Bednar pitched the ninth to become the fifth Pirates reliever with a save this season.
“It shows the depth of our bullpen, something we’ve talked about and emphasized,” Shelton said. “We want to build depth throughout our group.”
CJ Abrams hit his second home run of the year, and Jesse Winker, Trey Lipscomb, and Luis García Jr. also drove in runs for Washington, which has a 2-4 record.
CARDINALS 8, MARLINS 5
ST. LOUIS — Nolan Gorman hit a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh inning as St. Louis won its home opener against winless Miami, which is off to its worst start in the 33-year history of the franchise.
Jake Burger hit two home runs for Miami (0-8), which is off to the worst start in the majors since Atlanta and Minnesota each lost their first nine games in 2016.
The Marlins are the only winless team in baseball after the New York Mets got their first win Thursday, beating Detroit.
Gorman, who had three hits, led a five-run rally in the seventh inning with a double on the first pitch from reliever Andrew Nardi to give St. Louis a 6-5 lead. Alec Burleson followed with a single, and Masyn Winn added a run-scoring triple.
Paul Goldschmidt made it to first base after a mistake against Sixto Sanchez (0-1) which started the offensive surge. Sanchez then allowed two consecutive singles, including an RBI hit by Ivan Herrera, before being removed from the game.
Herrera hit his first home run in the major leagues at the start of the second inning. He is filling in for regular Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras, who was hit on the hand by a pitch in Wednesday’s loss at San Diego.
GUARDIANS 4, TWINS 2
MINNEAPOLIS — Tanner Bibee and the Cleveland bullpen struck out Minnesota’s batters 15 times, Steven Kwan had three hits, and the Guardians ruined the Twins’ first home game.
Bibee (1-0) tied his career high with nine strikeouts, allowing one run in 5 1/3 innings. Four relievers then took over, with Emmanuel Clase pitching a flawless ninth for his third save.
Carlos Correa got three hits and Edouard Julien hit a home run for the Twins. Minnesota, who had the most strikeouts per game in the majors last year, struck out 15 times and left nine runners on base — eight in scoring position.
The eighth inning summarized the Twins’ difficulties. Despite being behind by two runs, Correa started with a double. However, he remained at second base as Scott Barlow struck out Carlos Santana, Manuel Margot, and Willi Castro in succession to end the threat.
Twins starter Pablo López (1-1) allowed four runs — three of which were earned — in 5 2/3 innings.
