Washington D.C. -This afternoon, the Washington Nationals fell short of securing a victory in their series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Nationals Park, resulting in a 7-4 loss. Despite a delayed start to the game, RHP Josiah Gray, who received the start today, encountered a rough beginning. The Nationals currently have a 2-4 record, 1-3 record at home and 1-2 away, placing them 3rd in the NL East, with the Phillies scheduled to visit this weekend.

Gray struggled early on, conceding four runs on four hits and throwing 33 pitches, 19 of which were strikes, in the first inning. Although he managed to limit the Pirates to three additional runs thereafter, the Nationals failed to mount a comeback.

Gray pitched 4.1 innings, allowing six runs on seven hits. He recorded three strikeouts, issued three walks, and threw 96 pitches, 58 of which found the strike zone. With this performance, Gray's ERA for the season now stands at 14.04.

MEMBER Question: WHO IS? With Josiah Gray pitching twice and everyone else in the starting rotation, who should be, OR is the Nationals Ace?

Before the game, the Washington Nationals called up Jacob Young to replace Victor Robles, who was placed on the 10-day injured list today due to a strained left hamstring sustained while running the bases early in yesterday’s game. Speaking to reporters before the game, Manager Davey Martinez expressed his sentiments, “It's unfortunate about Vic [Victor]…He worked really hard to get back. Hopefully, we can get him back soon, but it’s going to take some time.”

Outfielder Jacob Young, aged 24, was summoned from Rochester today and went 0-4 in the game. In three games with Triple-A Rochester this season, Young managed three hits, two walks, one stolen base, and one run scored. During Spring Training, he batted .304 with a double, five RBI, one walk, four stolen bases, and three runs scored in 20 games.

The Nationals made a commendable effort to stage a comeback in the bottom of the eighth, scoring two runs. They tallied four runs on eight hits in the series' final game.

Up Next, the Washington Nationals will host the Philadelphia Phillies for their first weekend series at home starting tomorrow night. The projected pitching matchups for the series:

• Friday: RHP Aaron Nola (0-1; 12.46 ERA) vs. LHP Patrick Corbin ( 0-0; 8.31 ERA)
• Saturday: LHP Ranger Suárez (0-0; 5.40 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Irvin (0-0; 5.40 ERA)
• Sunday: LHP Cristopher Sánchez (0-0; 3.60 ERA) vs. LHP MacKenzie Gore ( 0-0; 5.06 ERA)

Final Game Details

April 4, 2024

• Pittsburg Pirates 7 (6-1), Washington Nationals 4 (2-4).
• WP: Martín Pérez (1-0; 2.45 ERA)
• LP: Josiah Gray (0-2; 14.04 ERA)
• SV: David Bednar (1)
• Umpires: HP: Jansen Visconti. 1B: Derek Thomas. 2B: Andy Fletcher. 3B: Mike Muchlinski.
• Weather:46 degrees, Partly Cloudy.
• Wind:6 mph, Out To RF.
• First pitch:5:15 PM.
• Venue: Nationals Park.

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