Nationals 9, Pirates 3
PITTSBURGH -- Michael Taylor went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs and Gio Gonzalez won his fourth straight decision as the Washington Nationals downed the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-3 on Saturday night.
Taylor, the rookie leadoff-hitting center fielder, capped the scoring with a two-run home run in the eighth inning off Pirates reliever Arquimedes Caminero. It was Taylor's seventh homer of the season.
Gonzalez (8-4) lasted just five-plus innings and gave up three runs (one earned) and five hits, with no walks and five strikeouts. In addition to staying unbeaten in his last five starts, the left-hander improved to 4-0 in his career against the Pirates.
Nationals third baseman Yunel Escobar had three hits, including two doubles, after sitting out the previous two games with a sore left wrist.
Shortstop Ian Desmond homered for a third straight game for the Nationals -- raising his season total to 11. He connected for a two-run shot in the seventh off Pirates rookie reliever Deolis Guerra, making it 7-3.
Desmond went 2-for-4 and is 10-for-20 during a six-game hitting streak after going 0-for-16 in his previous five games.
Pirates right-hander A.J. Burnett (8-4) had another rocky start; he was tagged for five runs and 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked none. Burnett beat the Royals on Monday at Kansas City despite allowing six runs in six innings.
The game's first run came in the second inning when Desmond scored on a wild pitch by Burnett.
Escobar doubled to start a two-run third. He scored on a single by Gonzalez that caromed off Burnett's glove hand, and Taylor followed with an RBI single.
In the fifth, Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper doubled and scored on a single by first baseman Clint Robinson to push the lead to 4-0. Harper extended his streak of reaching base to 22 games.
Second baseman Anthony Rendon's sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth gave the Nationals a 5-0 lead. He was activated from the disabled list before the game after missing 25 games with a left quadriceps strain.
The Nationals needed the late homers after the Pirates scored three runs in the sixth inning to knock Gonzalez from the game. They drew within 5-3 on RBI singles by left fielder Starling Marte, center fielder Andrew McCutchen and catcher Francisco Cervelli (who had two hits).
NOTES: 3B Aramis Ramirez joined the Pirates two days after being acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers. He batted cleanup. ... INF Brent Morel was designated for assignment a night after hitting the tie-breaking double as a pinch hitter in the Pirates' 7-5 victory over the Nationals. He was 2-for-7 (.286) in three games. ... Nationals INF Anthony Rendon was activated from the disabled list and started at third base, batting second. He had missed 25 games because of a left quadriceps strain. ... Washington RHP Abel de Los Santos was optioned to Double-A Harrisburg after going 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA in two relief appearances. ... Washington 3B Yunel Escobar returned to the lineup after missing two games because of a sore left wrist. ... Nationals RHP Joe Ross (2-2, 2.70 ERA) will face Pirates RHP Gerrit Cole (13-4, 2.31) on Sunday in the finale of the four-game series.