Pirates Rout Nationals 16-5 on Skenes' Strong Outing

Pittsburgh, Pa. - The Pittsburgh Pirates crushed the Washington Nationals 16-5 on Monday night at PNC Park, powered by ace Paul Skenes' dominant six-inning outing and a franchise-record 10-run sixth inning that highlighted the team's revitalized offense.

Skenes, the 23-year-old right-hander who captured the National League Cy Young Award last season with a 1.97 ERA, delivered another gem in what marked his fourth start of 2026. He allowed just one run on a first-inning solo home run by Washington's C.J. Abrams, who crushed a 99 mph fastball over the right-field wall. From there, Skenes retired 16 of the next 17 batters he faced, striking out six while scattering no other hits or walks. Mixing his signature fastball with a career-high 32 changeups among 88 pitches, he improved to 3-1 on the season and became the fifth-fastest pitcher in major league history to reach 400 career strikeouts in his first 59 appearances.

The Pirates' bats provided ample support, scoring five runs across the first three innings before erupting in the sixth. Pittsburgh sent 14 batters to the plate in that frame, collecting seven hits and capitalizing on two Nationals pitching changes. The rally started...