Apr 3, 2024 4 min read

By HOWARD FENDRICH

AP Sports Writer

WASHINGTON — Joey Gallo emphatically ended an 0-for-12 season-opening drought with an upper-deck homer that traveled 447 feet and two other hits, and the Washington Nationals beat the Pirates 5-3 on Wednesday night, Pittsburgh’s first loss of 2024.

Luis García Jr. doubled three times to tie a Nationals record and scored twice, CJ Abrams had a pair of RBIs, and Trevor Williams (1-0) allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings on a rainy evening in front of an announced crowd of 14,022.

Kyle Finnegan, the fifth Nationals pitcher, worked around a two-base throwing error by rookie third baseman Trey Lipscomb in the ninth and collected his second save in three chances this season — after blowing one in his last outing, a loss at Cincinnati on Sunday. Finnegan struck out former Nationals player Michael A. Taylor to end it.

Gallo, a 30-year-old first baseman who signed a $5 million, one-year contract as a free agent, homered in the second, doubled to right in the third and singled in the seventh — lifting his batting average from .000 to .188. He whiffed in half of his dozen at-bats entering this game.

He had no trouble connecting off 2023 All-Star Mitch Keller (0-1) to lead off the second, when the Nationals batted around and scored four runs after falling behind 2-0. Gallo pulled an 89 mph cutter into the second deck in right for a solo shot.

Pittsburgh had been off to a 5-0 start for the first time since 1983 and last began a season 6-0 in 1962. This game was the Pirates’ first of the year without scoring at least six runs.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton was ejected in the seventh after leaving the dugout to argue with plate umpire Mike Muchlinski when Bryan Reynolds was called out on a check-swing third strike to end the top half of the inning. Reynolds went 0 for 4, and his 33-game on-base streak ended.

Keller pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing five runs — four earned — and eight hits.

Taylor hit a two-run single for the Pirates, and Jack Suwinski homered off lefty reliever Robert Garcia in the sixth.

Trainer’s room:

Nationals: CF Victor Robles was lifted for a pinch runner in the second after grabbing at his left leg. … OF Jesse Winker, who left Monday’s series opener after one inning because of a stomach illness, was “still a little under the weather” and out of the starting lineup but possibly available to pinch hit, manager Dave Martinez said. RHP Jordan Weems, who also was sick and couldn’t pitch Monday, faced three batters out of the bullpen Wednesday.

Hey, Bart:

Catcher Joey Bart was added to the Pirates’ roster after he was acquired in a trade with the San Francisco Giants, the club that took him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 amateur draft.

Bart, 27, once was considered Buster Posey’s likely successor as San Francisco’s starting catcher. But the Giants designated him for assignment on Sunday.

The Pirates received Bart in a deal that sent minor league right-hander Austin Strickland to the Giants.

Bart appeared in 162 games over four seasons with San Francisco, batting .219 with 11 homers and 38 RBIs and 178 strikeouts. His father went to high school in Pennsylvania and was drafted by the Pirates in 1979.

“This morning, when I met him, I had heard. I said, ‘Hey, you’ve got some Yinzer in ya.’ So he was pretty excited about it,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “And I think any time someone gets a fresh start, and then it’s coming back to where you have family, it’s really cool.”

The younger Bart takes a roster spot that opened up when backup catcher Jason Delay went on the 10-day injured list with inflammation in his right knee, a move retroactive to Monday. Shelton said Delay had been bothered by the knee since spring training.

Henry Davis is currently Pittsburgh’s starting catcher. Yasmani Grandal went on the IL last month with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, and Shelton said he’s “still a way’s away.”

“We’ve added another guy into our group who’s caught in the big leagues,” Shelton said about Bart.