CJ Abrams Is Hitting .356 With Six Homers and the Nationals Are Coming to Pittsburgh Hot

CJ Abrams is absolutely cooking right now, and the Washington Nationals are riding his wave into Pittsburgh. The shortstop is one of the hottest hitters in baseball through the first month, and he just delivered again on Tuesday night in a 5-4 win over the Pirates. Abrams went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a solo homer, nearly extending his night even further before getting thrown out at the plate on a defensive gem by Pirates left fielder Jake Mangum in the eighth inning.

The Numbers Tell You Everything

In 16 games this season, Abrams is hitting .356 with a 1.121 OPS, six home runs and 19 RBIs. He's on pace for career highs across the board. That's not a hot streak, that's a level of play that can carry a team through a month. Nationals manager Blake Butera gets it: "There are a lot of positives with CJ's game right now. The leadership stands out, the way he rallies the guys around him from all aspects and he's not afraid to go out there and make a play."

The Nationals have won four of their past five games, and Abrams is the engine making it happen. Washington sends right-hander Jake Irvin to the mound Wednesday night. Irvin is 1-1 with a 7.07 ERA on the season, though he's 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two career starts against Pittsburgh. In his last outing Friday at Milwaukee, he pitched five innings, gave up three runs on two hits, walked five and struck out five in a 7-3 Nationals win.

The Pirates Have Their Own Firepower

Don't sleep on Pittsburgh though. Second baseman Brandon Lowe has been one of the top hitters in baseball this season. He became the first Pirate to record five RBIs in consecutive games since the stat became official in 1920, doing it Sunday against Chicago and Monday against Washington. Lowe homered in the second inning Tuesday, but Pirates manager Don Kelly drew criticism for pinch-hitting Nick Yorke for Lowe in the seventh with the bases loaded and one out in a 5-4 deficit. Yorke grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Lowe defended the move: "I thought it was the right move. If you take the personal out of it and look at it with a baseball mind, it was bases loaded, one out, lefty on the mound and lefty in the pen. (Yorke) sees lefties really well and doesn't strike out against them. If the ball was three feet one way or another, we're having a completely different discussion about this."

Wednesday's Pitching Matchup

Pittsburgh had not named a starter for Wednesday as of publication, though right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski (0-0, 2.51 ERA) would be in line to start. If he gets the nod, it will be his first career start against the Nationals, though he's 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA in five career relief appearances against them. Mlodzinski's best outing came last Friday against the Cubs when he pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings despite allowing six hits and three walks while striking out two in a no-decision in Pittsburgh's 2-0 victory.

Game three of the four-game series goes Wednesday night. The Nationals bring momentum and Abrams' hot bat. The Pirates bring Lowe's league-leading power and a desperate chance to answer back.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.