Pirates rally to spoil Bell's return in 4-3 win over Nats

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Josh Bell offered the Pittsburgh Pirates a reminder of what might have been. Ke'Bryan Hayes provided a glimpse of what still could be.

Hayes capped off a ninth-inning rally with an RBI single as the Pirates slipped past the Washington Nationals 4-3 on Friday night to spoil Bell's return to PNC Park.

Hayes completed a two-run comeback by sending a pitch from Washington reliever Alberto Baldonado to right field, scoring Ben Gamel from third for the first walk-off hit of his career.

“I knew a single was going to win the game so I just tried to hit it low and hard,” said Hayes, a rookie third baseman who is a key part of the rebuilding Pirates' future.

Bell, a former second-round pick who played five seasons in Pittsburgh before being traded to Washington last December, hit his 26th home run of the season for the Nationals. His solo shot in the sixth gave the Nationals a two-run lead the overtaxed bullpen couldn't quite hold.

Pittsburgh trailed 3-2 going into the ninth but quickly put two men on off Washington rookie reliever Patrick Murphy (0-2). Murphy gave way to Baldonado, who retired Cole Tucker but allowed the tying run to score on a groundout to shortstop by Colin Moran.

Hayes then won it in what he guessed was his first walk-off hit since high school. The single finished off a two-hit night and boosted Hayes' average to .391 (9 for 23) since being moved to the leadoff spot last weekend.

Chad Kuhl (5-6) earned the victory after pitching a scoreless ninth. Hayes and Anthony Alford had two hits apiece for Pittsburgh. Alford’s solo homer in the seventh pulled the Pirates within a run.

BITTERSWEET HOMECOMING

Bell, an All-Star 2019 who was flipped to Washington in exchange for prospects as part of a top-to-bottom rebuild in Pittsburgh, received a warm...

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