WASHINGTON -- The longest game in Nationals history -- and the second longest in the Majors this season -- ended up as a 2-1 win for the Pirates after Starling Marte hit a solo homer in the 18th inning on Sunday at Nationals Park. The victory by Pittsburgh ended Washington's five-game winning streak. The Nats are now six games ahead of the Marlins and Mets in the National League East race.
The Nationals, who tied the game in the ninth on pinch-hitter Daniel Murphy's home run with two outs, used eight pitchers. The eighth was left-hander Oliver Perez, who allowed the mammoth blast by Marte out to the left-field seats with two outs.
The Pirates scored their first run of the game in the sixth inning off right-hander Max Scherzer. Adam Frazier led off the inning with a double and scored on a double by Marte. Scherzer ended up pitching seven innings, allowing the one run on six hits while striking on seven.
Pirates right-hander Chad Kuhl was just as good on the mound in the rookie's best game of the season. He pitched six shutout innings and allowed one hit, which came from Ben Revere in the first inning. After that, he retired the next 14 hitters he faced.
The Nationals were down to their last out of the game when Murphy came to the plate as a pinch-hitter and hit a solo home run against closer Mark Melancon. It was Murphy's fourth pinch-hit homer of his career. The last time he hit a pinch-hit homer was in 2011 against then-Nationals reliever Tyler Clippard.
Bill Ladson has covered the Nationals/Expos for MLB.com since 2002 and writes an MLBlog, All Nats All the Time. He also can be found on Twitter @WashingNats.
Alex Putterman is a reporter for MLB.com based in Washington and covered the Pirates on Sunday.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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