Late-game fielding miscue from Oneil Cruz hands Pirates series loss to Nationals

Noah Hiles, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Sep 14, 2025

Published in Baseball

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There are likely few people on the Pirates roster who are more ready for this season to end than Oneil Cruz. Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park is just another example of why this is the case.

"It's tough," manager Don Kelly told SportsNet Pittsburgh's postgame show, "especially since we scored three in the first inning but weren't able to put any more runs on the board. ... We just need to find a way to make some plays."

With the game tied 3-3 and the go-ahead run on first base, Nationals left fielder Daylen Lile roped a ball into the left-center gap. Cruz sprinted from center field to track down the hit, aiming to field it cleanly and prevent James Wood, the runner on base, from going any further than third.

But rather than making a run-saving play, Cruz instead allowed the ball to slide under his glove. Wood went on to score with ease. His run, which was the game winner, secured another series loss for the Pirates, who have dropped eight of their last nine games.

"It looked like he made a good effort getting over to it," Kelly said of the play. "But he just didn't get down to be able to get it."

Isaac Mattson, the game's losing pitcher, finished the eighth inning without allowing any additional damage. Despite two strong innings of relief, he was the game's losing pitcher. Jackson Rutledge earned the win thanks to his scoreless inning of relief in the top half of the eighth. Clayton Beeter closed out the game in the top of the ninth inning, earning his first save as a big leaguer.

It was over when ...

... Lile's hit slid under Cruz's glove in left-center field. The knock would've still put the Pirates in a tough spot even if Cruz fielded the ball cleanly, likely putting runners on second and third with only one out. But the miscue deprived Mattson from having the chance to escape another jam, something he has routinely done throughout the year.

On the mound

One poor inning prevented Mike Burrows from having another scoreless outing. Burrows allowed three runs, all earned, over 4 1/3 innings. All three of those runs were scored in the bottom of the second inning.

Lile led that frame off with a walk, which was followed by a single from Andres Chaparro. Paul DeJong plated Lile with a one-out double. His hit also set the table for a sac fly from Nasim Nunez that brought home Chaparro. DeJong scored in the next at-bat on a single from Jacob Young, which tied the score 3-3.

Burrows responded well after the second inning, allowing no further damage. He finished his workday having allowed five hits and a walk while striking out six. His season ERA now sits at 4.10.

"I like how the outing finished overall," Burrows told SportsNet Pittsburgh's postgame show. "There was just that one blip inning."

At the plate

The Pirates wasted no time getting after Nationals starter Cade Cavalli. Jared Triolo led the game off with an infield single, which was followed by a walk by Spencer Horwitz. Nick Gonzales brought both home with a two-out triple, giving the Pirates an early lead. Gonzales scored not long after on a wild pitch, making the count 3-0 in Pittsburgh's favor.

But following a tough first inning, Cavalli found a rhythm, allowing no hits for the rest of his workday. Ji Hwan Bae led off the second with a walk but was caught stealing a few pitches later. Cavalli retired the next six batters and allowed only two baserunners for the rest of his outing, both from walks.

"That definitely led to a little momentum shift, for sure," Kelly said.

Pittsburgh's next hit didn't come until the eighth inning, when Cruz reached on a two-out double to left field. That scoring chance, however, came to a quick end, as Joey Bart followed with a groundout to shortstop that concluded the frame.

Triolo walked with two outs in the top of the ninth, giving the Pirates one more chance to tie the game. Horwitz made things even more interesting, singling to left-center field to move Triolo from first to third.

Bryan Reynolds stepped to the plate with runners on the corners, boasting the opportunity to tie the game or even put Pittsburgh ahead with one big swing. But instead, Reynolds struck out swinging to end the game.

In the end, the Pirates tallied just five hits, went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base. Each of their last five losses has been by a single run.

Most valuable player

Lile, who reached base safely in each of his four plate appearances. His final at-bat produced the game's winning run.

Up next

The Pirates return home to begin a three-game series Monday against the Cubs at PNC Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET. Braxton Ashcraft (4-2, 2.47 ERA) will face Jameson Taillon (9-6, 4.15) on the mound.

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