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Milledge powers Nationals past Pirates

Jun 11, 2008 - 3:36 AM By Brad Everett PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- With three of their top offensive threats on the disabled list, the slumping Washington Nationals have been nearly void of big hits and wins recently. But for one night at least, they found both.

The Nationals hit a season-high five home runs, including a game-winning two-run shot from Lastings Milledge in the ninth inning, to post a 7-6 triumph over the streaking Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Tuesday.

"That was good to see," Nationals manager Manny Acta said. "We have been lacking the power pretty much the whole season, so to see it come in bunches today, that's a good sign. But it's still just one ballgame. Hopefully this is just a start."

Trailing, 6-5, in the top of the ninth, the Nationals scored twice off closer Matt Capps (0-1), who had been a perfect 15-for-15 in save situations this season. After Elijah Dukes hit a two-out double, Milledge followed with a two-run home run to left field to help the National snap a four-game losing streak.

"We all know that Capps is an aggressive guy, and Dukes and I are aggressive hitters, so we were trying to get to him early in the count," Milledge said. "We know we were going to get that fastball and that's what we were looking for, and both of us got it."

"If I could go back and redo it, I'm probably throwing the same pitch, but trying to locate it a little better," Capps said. "I think if I would have thrown it where (catcher Ryan Doumit) wanted it and where I wanted it to go, you know, the music is playing in (the clubhouse) and we're having a good time."

After Joel Hanrahan (2-2) pitched two-thirds of an inning to pick up the victory, Jon Rauch worked a perfect ninth to earn his 13th save.

In the eighth inning, it was the Pirates who came from behind as Xavier Nady smacked an RBI single to center to tie the score at 5-5. Pinch hitter Doug Mientkiewicz hit a sacrifice fly off of Hanrahan to give the Pirates a 6-5 advantage.

The Nationals had done very little against Pirates starter Paul Maholm through six innings and trailed, 4-1.

"For the first six innings, I cruised," Maholm said. "They were hitting the ball on the ground and I was keeping the ball down."

But that changed quickly in a power-filled sixth, which saw them hit three home runs.

"In the seventh, for some reason they started hitting everything I threw out," Maholm said.

One out after Dmitri Young hit a Maholm offering into the left field bleachers, Jesus Flores and Ronnie Belliard hit back-to-back home runs to knot the score at 4-4. An inning later, Pirates reliever John Grabow surrendered a single to Young and a walk to Flores, setting the stage for Belliard's RBI single off Franquelis Osoria which gave the Nationals a 5-4 lead. Belliard finished 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and three RBI.

"I think once Ronnie tied the ballgame we felt like, 'Good, we got a chance. Let's go do it'," Acta said. "Ronnie swung the bat real good. It's a spark for us. We needed it."

Ryan Doumit went 4-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI for the Pirates, who had won four of six.

"We just have to come back and battle tomorrow," Grabow said. "We battled good tonight, so we just have to keep doing what we've been doing."