Wood scores on Cruz's 11th outfield error, Nationals overcome 3-run deficit and beat Pirates 4-3

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Washington Nationals' James Wood scores during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

Washington Nationals' Daylen Lile celebrates after hitting a an RBI double and advancing to third during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.) — Washington Nationals' James Wood scores during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

Audio By Carbonatix

2:41 PM on Sunday, September 14

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — James Wood scored the go-ahead run from first base when center fielder Oneil Cruz misplayed Dayton Lile's eighth-inning double, and the Washington Nationals overcame a three-run, first-inning deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 on Sunday.

Pittsburgh (65-85) finished a 1-5 trip that assured the Pirates their seventh straight losing season and 29th in 33 years. The Pirates had runners at the corners in the ninth before rookie Clayton Beeter, pitching on a third straight day for the first time in his major league career, struck out Bryan Reynolds for his first big league save.

Washington (62-87) took two of three from the Pirates and has won nine of its last 13 games.

With the score 3-3 in the eighth, Isaac Mattson (3-3) walked Wood and Lile drove a ball to left-center that rolled past Cruz to the warning track for Cruz's 11th error this season, three more than any other major league center fielder had starting Sunday.

Jackson Rutledge (4-2) pitched a one-hit eighth.

Cade Cavalli allowed three runs, three hits and four walks in five innings. Nick Gonzales hit a two-run, two-out triple in the first and scored on a wild pitch.

Washington tied the score in the second on Paul DeJong's RBI double, Nasim Nuñez's sacrifice fly and Jacob Young's RBI single.

Burrows left his 18th start after 4 1/3 innings and 61 pitches as the Pirates monitor his innings (90) in his return from Tommy John surgery in April 2023. He allowed five hits with six strikeouts.

Key moment

Nationals pitchers retired 20 straight batters after Cavalli hit Joey Bart with a two-out pitch in the first following a single by Cruz, who ended the streak with a two-out double in the eighth.

Key stat

Pittsburgh's 23 road wins are the second-fewest behind Colorado's 18 entering Sunday.

Up next

Pirates RHP Braxton Ashcraft (4-2, 2.47) starts Monday against the visiting Chicago Cubs and RHP Jameson Taillon (9-6, 4.15).

Nationals LHP Mitchell Parker (8-15, 5.69) starts Monday against the visiting Atlanta Braves and RHP Spencer Strider (5-13, 4.86).

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