Nationals 6, Pirates, 3: Michael Morse's Homer Sinks Pirates

A three-run homer by Michael Morse helped sink the Pirates Sunday afternoon as the Nationals won 6-3. The Pirates managed to get four batters to reach base in the first, but only one of them scored. Kevin Correia then ran into trouble in the third inning, allowing the first three runners to reach base. A groundout by Adam LaRoche scored one run, and then Morse hit his three-run bomb. The Pirates got two more runs in the fourth thanks in part to doubles by Pedro Alvarez and Ronny Cedeno (who now has three hits in the two games since Brandon Wood was acquired - not that I think that means anything). LaRoche hit a solo homer in the fifth, however, and Laynce Nix doubled in a run in the eighth to secure the win. (The Nix double might have been avoided if Mike Crotta had gotten a close low strike call on a 2-2 count earlier in the inning against Ivan Rodriguez, but oh well. ROOT didn't show the replay.)

The game ended on a very bad baserunning decision by Andrew McCutchen (or by third-base coach Nick Leyva). McCutchen had reached on a single and advanced to third on two Nationals errors. With one out, Jose Tabata hit a fly ball and McCutchen elected to tag up. The play was close, but McCutchen failed to get his front foot across the bag, and was called out when the Nats tagged him. He and Clint Hurdle were apoplectic, but whether or not he actually was out, there was no reason for him to come home, given that the Pirates were down three runs.

Neil Walker had three hits for the Bucs. It wasn't a particularly good day for Kevin Correia, who got a bunch of ground ball outs but was hit pretty hard on many of the Nats' 11 hits against him.