{"id":3541,"date":"2026-07-06T05:38:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T05:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3541"},"modified":"2026-07-06T05:38:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T05:38:14","slug":"nationals-bullpen-collapses-again-as-pirates-steal-key-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3541","title":{"rendered":"Nationals\u2019 bullpen collapses again as Pirates steal key win"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Nationals\u2019 pitching staff couldn\u2019t take the heat. Washington\u2019s bullpen turned a close game into a blowout by allowing seven runs in the last two innings of Sunday\u2019s 11-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Nationals manager Blake Butera said after the disappointing loss that the District\u2019s ongoing heat wave was at least partially responsible for Sunday\u2019s pitching struggles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The late collapse \u2014 combined with a lackluster start by Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli \u2014 created an insurmountable deficit for Washington\u2019s typically high-scoring lineup.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cavalli allowed six hits and four runs across just 2 1\/3 innings of work.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe heat just got to him,\u201d Butera said after the game, noting that Cavalli reported a headache during his outing. \u201cHe got pretty dehydrated out there, just ran out of gas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know why my body reacted the way it did to [the heat,]\u201d said Cavalli. \u201cIn the second inning, I threw a pitch where I kind of got after one and got a little lightheaded. \u2026 Just a really weird feeling that I was having. It\u2019s no excuse for how I threw the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n

His fastball velocity dipped each inning. After a scoreless first, Cavalli allowed three runs off singles in the second and a solo home run to lead off the third. Butera pulled his starter after another batter reached base on a groundball into the outfield.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But the Nationals rallied after Cavalli\u2019s early exit, despite the 4-0 deficit. Washington\u2019s relievers posted five scoreless innings while the offense found its spark.\u00a0<\/p>\n

First baseman Luis Garcia Jr., whom manager Blake Butera called Washington\u2019s \u201cBarry Bonds\u201d before the game, slapped a two-run homer in the bottom of the third to cut Pittsburgh\u2019s four-run lead in half.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It was Garcia\u2019s 19th home run of the season, a new career high for the infielder who debuted in 2020. No major leaguer has hit more homers than Garcia since May 24; he\u2019s added 16 to his total over the last six weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Nationals cut into the Pirates\u2019 advantage again an inning later, when outfielder Dylan Crews scored from third base on a groundout by second baseman Jorbit Vivas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the bottom of the fifth, shortstop C.J. Abrams took the plate with the bases loaded and no outs. His pop-fly necessitated a diving grab by Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin, allowing James Wood to score the tying run from third base.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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But Washington\u2019s bullpen, as it has throughout the season, couldn\u2019t hold onto a lead.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Reliever Brad Lord allowed five runners to reach base after starting his outing with four consecutive outs. Each of the five batters faced two-strike counts before ultimately heading to first baseman.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe it was trying to do too much with two strikes,\u201d Lord said.<\/p>\n

Butera again cited the heat \u2014 the game-time temperature started at 92 degrees with Washington\u2019s signature humidity pushing the heat index toward triple digits \u2014 as a potential cause of Lord\u2019s struggles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe weather was tough,\u201d the manager said. \u201cHe just wasn\u2019t able to put guys away when he was ahead in the count. His second inning out there, started to run out of some gas. The heat was real.\u201d<\/p>\n

Griffin took advantage of a bases-loaded opportunity with a two-run single.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The next batter, second baseman Brandon Lowe, cleared the bases with a three-run homer to give Pittsburgh a 9-4 advantage.<\/p>\n

The Pirates\u00a0added two more runs in the ninth\u00a0to seal the win.<\/p>\n

Sunday was the latest disappointment in Washington\u2019s ongoing bullpen struggles, a flaw that has threatened to tank an upstart Nationals squad that is aiming for a postseason berth. Washington leads the league with 51 save opportunities on the season. The relievers have converted just 26 of those chances.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Nationals\u2019 bullpen ranks fifth-worst in the majors in ERA and has allowed eight more homers than any other MLB group.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Butera couldn\u2019t offer any solutions to the ongoing problem on Sunday.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThese guys were asked to give us multiple innings out of the bullpen,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s tough to do that normally. It\u2019s even harder to do it when it\u2019s this hot, but those guys competed.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 46-45 Nationals continue their homestand with a three-game set against the Houston Astros that begins on Monday night.\u00a0Washington currently trails the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves by 7 1\/2 games. The Nationals are three games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the final wild-card spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more Trump posts doctored photo of Obamas and Air Force One with graffiti spray-painted on plane<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The Nationals rallied back from an early deficit against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, but another late collapse by Washington’s bullpen allowed Pittsburgh to escape with an 11-5 victory.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3540,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[373,142],"tags":[2134,758],"class_list":["post-3541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-baseball","category-sports","tag-pittsburgh-pirates","tag-washington-nationals"],"yoast_head":"\nNationals\u2019 bullpen collapses again as Pirates steal key win - Home Buyer Relocation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3541\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Nationals\u2019 bullpen collapses again as Pirates steal key win - 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