Ashcraft wins 4th straight start as Pirates topple Nationals 7-1

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Braxton Ashcraft won his fourth consecutive start and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Washington Nationals 7-1 on Saturday.

Henry Davis and Brandon Lowe both drove in two runs for Pittsburgh, which got back to .500 at 45-45 after dropping three of its past four.

Pirates rookie Konnor Griffin stole home as part of a double steal with two outs in the first inning to open the scoring. Griffin earlier stole second after a leadoff single and the Pirates had four stolen bases for the game.

James Wood hit a leadoff homer for the Nationals, whose three-game winning streak ended.

Ashcraft (9-3) allowed a run and six hits in 5 2/3 innings and struck out seven. The 26-year-old right-hander has a 3.04 ERA and 32 strikeouts in four starts since June 17 and has won eight of his past nine decisions.

With the game tied 1-1, Nationals opener Carson Palmquist (0-1) loaded the bases with none out in the second before yielding to Zack Littell.

Davis then drove in a run with an infield single, and Lowe added a two-run single two batters later. Esmerlyn Valdez made it 5-1 with a run-scoring single later in the inning.

Littell gave up a run in six innings while striking out three.

Pittsburgh added two runs in the eighth against Riley Cornelio on Nick Gonzales’ RBI single and Davis’ bases-loaded walk.

Wood hit Ashcraft’s first pitch of the day 428 feet into the third deck in right field to tie it. It was his 23rd of the season, including his seventh leadoff shot.

Washington outfielder Jacob Young was scratched from the lineup about 40 minutes before the game with left hand soreness.

Pittsburgh RHP Bubba Chandler (3-8, 4.62 ERA) faces Washington RHP Miles Mikolas (2-7, 5.44) as the three-game series concludes Sunday.

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