Pirates looking to end skid as series continues at Nationals

Youth will be served on Saturday when the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates and the Washington Nationals play the second game of their weekend series.

With Pittsburgh (64-84) looking to snap a seven-game losing streak, a pair of rookies who have combined for six major league appearances will square off when Pirates right-hander Bubba Chandler (2-1, 7.36 ERA) opposes Nationals left-hander Andrew Alvarez (1-0, 1.86).

Chandler, the game's top pitching prospect when he was called up in August, makes his fifth appearance and second major league start. After three long relief stints, he made his first start on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers and was battered for nine runs on nine hits in 2 2/3 innings.

After the game, manager Don Kelly said the Pirates continue to view the 22-year-old Chandler as a starter.

"He's a starting pitcher," Kelly said. "How that transpires, we're going to sit down and talk. I'm not saying he wouldn't be in a bulk role again, but he'll get starts too. I don't know what the next one will be, but we'll talk about it and reassess."

Alvarez, 26, has allowed only two runs in 9 2/3 innings over two starts with the Nationals (61-86). On Sunday, he gave up two runs in 4 2/3 innings of a no-decision against the Chicago Cubs in a game the Nationals later won.

"I'm just happy to be here, and happy to contribute to any win that I can," Alvarez said. "That's the ultimate goal, to win games. It's just an amazing opportunity."

On Friday night, Dylan Crews hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning and the Nationals rallied for a 6-5 win.

Closer Jose A. Ferrer saw his scoreless streak end at 15 2/3 innings and it appeared he had blown the save when Joey Bart singled with runners on second and third. Lleft fielder James Wood threw Alexander Canario out at home, however, with a one-hop throw to catcher Jorge Alfaro, preserving the 6-5 lead.

"He does insane things I've never seen players do before," third baseman Brady House said of Wood. "It's almost like, it's awesome that he got the out, but I wasn't surprised at all. It's James. He does things that you can't imagine sometimes."

Wood supplied his 37th multi-hit game of the season with two doubles. He is tied for third in the National League with 36 doubles.

House also homered for Washington, which had lost two in a row after winning four straight, and Josh Bell provided what proved to be the winning run with a two-run single to continue his torrid September. Over his last six games, Bell is 9-for-20 (.450) with four homers, 15 RBIs and six runs scored.

Spencer Horwitz had a homer and a single for the Pirates and Jared Triolo added a double and a single and scored twice.

Horwitz has gone 19-for-69 (.275) with five doubles, four homers, eight RBIs and 14 runs scored across his last 22 games. Triolo is 39-for-131 (.298) in his last 38 games since being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Aug. 1 and has 13 multi-hit games in that span.

--Field Level Media