Skenes dominates, Pirates explode for 16 runs in win against Nationals

Matt Press, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Apr 13, 2026

Published in Baseball

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PITTSBURGH — There were fireworks crackling, traffic cones hoisted and a welder’s helmet worn in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ dugout.

After a 10-run sixth inning, the club’s first since 2017, and first at home since 2009, all the celebrations were necessary.

Paul Skenes walked off the mound after the top of the sixth inning to a standing ovation — pitching six innings of one-run and one-hit ball — and the Pirates kicked off a seven-game homestand with a 16-5 win against the Washington Nationals on Monday night at PNC Park.

Skenes struck out the first two batters he faced to start the game, including No. 400 in his young career. He surrendered a solo home run to CJ Abrams on the next at-bat, but that was the only hit he’d allow in a dominant start.

The bottom of the Pirates’ order set the table for a second-inning flurry. Konnor Griffin led off the inning with a walk, and Jake Mangum knocked an opposite-field single before Henry Davis loaded the bases with a five-pitch walk.

Oneil Cruz drew another walk to put the Pirates on the board. Brandon Lowe followed with a two-run single, and Nationals’ starter Cade Cavalli’s was pulled after Bryan Reynolds ripped an RBI single on the next at-bat.

The Pirates drew three walks and tallied three hits and four runs off Cavalli — all in the second inning.

Spencer Horwitz notched his first home run of the season the following inning, leading off the third with a solo shot into the right-field seats. Skenes continued to cruise, and the Pirates turned the game into a rout in the bottom of the sixth.

With no outs and the bases loaded, Reynolds pounced on a splitter for a three-run triple. They continued to pass the baton with Ryan O’Hearn hitting an RBI double and Griffin singling to score the Pirates’ 10th run. Then, with two outs, Cruz tacked on two more runs with a sharply lined drive off the right-field wall.

Just for good measure, Lowe crushed his sixth home run of the year, a three-run, 410-foot blast to right field.

Jose Urquidy allowed four runs in relief of Skenes in the seventh, but the result was already sealed.

It was over when …

Horwitz led off the third inning with a home run to put the Pirates up 5-1. Skenes was untouchable after a first-inning blemish and the Nationals couldn’t cut into the lead before a 10-run Pirates sixth.

On the mound

The reigning NL Cy Young winner is back to his usual self — across his last three starts, Skenes pitched 17 1/3 innings and posted an ERA of 1.59.

Although it ultimately didn’t matter in such a lopsided contest, Urquidy’s struggles in relief were difficult to ignore. He allowed a walk-off single Sunday afternoon against the Chicago Cubs, and Monday night surrendered four runs and six hits in his lone inning of work.

Lefty Evan Sisk was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis Monday morning and pitched a scoreless final two frames.

At the plate

Cruz led off the fourth inning with a single to extend his hitting streak to an MLB-leading, as well as career-high, 12 games. Lowe and Reynolds had three hits apiece, and Horwitz and Davis both went 2 for 4. The Pirates had 16 total hits and batted 9 for 19 with runners in scoring position.

Most valuable player

Lowe drove in five runs for the second game in a row, becoming the first Pirate to do so since the RBI stat was created in 1920.

Up next

Mitch Keller (1-0, 1.00) will get the ball at 6:40 p.m. ET Tuesday as the Pirates aim to win the fourth of their last five games. Miles Mikolas (0-3, 12.41) is slated to start for the Nationals.

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