The game was decided in the first inning. Pittsburgh scored twice before Washington recorded an out, then rode Carmen Mlodzinski's dominant pitching to a 2-0 victory at PNC Park.
Mlodzinski earned his first win of the season, allowing just two hits over six innings with five strikeouts and two walks. The right-hander carried a 1.77 ERA into the game and lowered it further with his most complete outing of the year.
The Pirates struck immediately against Jake Irvin. Ozuna singled to right, scoring Reynolds, then O'Hearn crossed the plate when Gonzales reached on an infield single to shortstop. The two-run burst gave Pittsburgh all the offense it would need.
Irvin took the loss despite settling down after the rocky start. He allowed four hits and three walks over five innings, striking out five. His ERA stands at 6.16 after the defeat. Washington managed just three hits against Pittsburgh pitching, with Dennis Santana earning his second save.
Pittsburgh improved to 10-7 and maintained first place in the division. Washington fell to 8-9 despite entering the game with a one-game winning streak.