PITTSBURGH (AP) — Carmen Mlodzinski allowed two hits over a career-high six innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates edged the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Wednesday night.
Mlodzinski (1-0) took over for opener Mason Montgomery in the second and struck out five against two walks to lower his ERA to 1.77. Dennis Santana worked the ninth for his second save.
Ryan O'Hearn had three hits for the Pirates, who have won 10 of 14. Marcell Ozuna and Nick Gonzales had first-inning RBI singles against Jake Irvin (1-2), and it proved to be enough as four pitchers combined for Pittsburgh's second shutout in less than a week.
Mlodzinski began this season as a full-fledged starter for the first time in his four-year career after bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen last season.
While he was excellent through his first three turns in 2026, manager Don Kelly opted to give the ball to the left-handed Montgomery in the first inning on Wednesday in hopes of dealing with the left-hand-heavy top of Washington's lineup while also allowing Mlodzinski to work deeper into the game.
Montgomery allowed a one-out double to Curtis Mead. Mead advanced to third on a groundout but stopped there after Montgomery fanned Brady House to end the inning.
It would be as close as the Nationals, whose 99 runs through 17 games coming in were tied for the best offensive start in franchise history, would get to scoring all night.
Mlodzinski entered in the top of the second and hit CJ Abrams before settling down. His only real spot of trouble came in the fifth, when a single and a walk put two on with one out. He retired James Wood on a long flyout to left and then forced Mead into a grounder to third to end the threat.
The four-game series wraps up on Thursday. Foster Griffin (2-0, 1.76 ERA) starts for the Nationals against Pittsburgh's Braxton Ashcraft (1-1, 2.12).
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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