Otto Lopez remains hot with homer, three hits

Griffin led off the game with a single and advanced all the way to third with two outs, but the Pirates couldn’t cash him in. He then drew a one out walk in the fourth and swiped second base but wound up stranded at third again. The rookie sensation then delivered a go-ahead two-run single in the eighth inning and scored on Brandon Lowe’s three-run blast. With his two-hit attack, Griffin is now hitting .276/.332/.404 with five homers, 25 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 247 plate appearances with the Bucs.

Reynolds did his damage off of Nationals’ starter Cade Cavalli in the third inning, clobbering a 1-1 changeup for a 399-foot (100.9-mph EV) solo shot that increased the Pirates’ early advantage to 4-0. He’s having another solid all-around season at the plate, slashing .282/.393/.474 with 13 homers, 56 RBI and six stolen bases. It’s amazing what an improved supporting cast on offense can do.

Lowe capped off a five-run uprising in the eighth inning with his 396-foot (107.6-mph EV) three-run shot off of Brad Lord that increased the Pirates’ advantage to 9-4. That would be his only hit in the contest. For the season, the 31-year-old slugger is now slashing .242/.316/.498 with 21 homers and 63 RBI in his first 376 plate appearances with the Pirates.

Chandler also issued four walks on the afternoon and did not record a single strikeout. After starting the day with a pair of scoreless innings, he served up a two-run homer to Luis García Jr. in the third inning. After the Nats added a single run in the fourth, Chandler loaded the bases to start the fifth inning before handing a mess over to the bullpen, from which only one of those inherited runners ultimately scored. The 23-year-old righty got just two swings and misses on 86 pitches, posting a miserable CSW of 13 percent. He’ll carry an uninspiring 4.82 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and a 79/52 K/BB (89 2/3 innings) into Saturday’s showdown against the Brewers.

Garcia got the Nationals on the board with his 370-foot (99.1-mph EV) two-run shot off of Bubba Chandler in the third inning, pulling the Nationals to within two runs at 4-2. He also singled in the fifth inning and swiped third base before being stranded there. The 26-year-old slugger has crushed nine home runs in his last 12 games and his 16 homers since May 25 are tops in Major League Baseball. For the season, he’s slashing an impressive .282/.313/.561 to go with a career-high 19 home runs, 64 RBI and three stolen bases.

Cavalli also issued two walks while striking out three in the ballgame. After a scoreless inning, the Pirates got to him for three runs in the second, then Bryan Reynolds added a solo shot in the third. He got nine whiffs on 63 pitches in the contest, posting a CSW of 22 percent. He’ll now serve his seven-game suspension and won’t make another start until after the All-Star break.

Chisholm went 1-for-2 with and was caught stealing before exiting the game. The 28-year-old will likely undergo imaging to make sure there’s no structural damage, but for now should be considered day-to-day.

Muncy will take a seat with left-hander JP Sears toeing the slab for the Padres. Tommy Edman will cover the hot corner in his absence while Miguel Rojas starts at second base and will bat eighth for the Dodgers.

Ohtani sat out Saturday’s ballgame due to biceps discomfort. He felt considerably better after the day off though and is right back in there atop the Dodgers’ lineup for Sunday’s showdown against Padres’ left-hander JP Sears.

Jung was going to try to give it a go but tested his knee out on the field before the game and ultimately the decision was made to give him the afternoon off. It’s possible that he could be available in a pinch-hit situation. Ezequiel Duran will cover third base in his absence and bat cleanup against Tigers’ right-hander Casey Mize.