Pirates starter Gerrit Cole (5-3) had four strikeouts in a win in his first start back from the All-Star break Tuesday against the Nationals.
The young right-hander tossed seven innings of two-hit ball, allowing one run and one walk in a 5-1 win. His only blemish came in the third when Wilson Ramos took him deep for a solo home run.
Cole snapped a three-start losing streak and picked up his first win since June 28. The rookie has allowed only seven earned runs over his last three starts (19 innings). He is scheduled to make his next start Sunday at Miami. He is 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA on the road.