It was exactly the kind of hit Austin Kearns needed.
One of several players struggling in the middle of the Nationals lineup early this season,Kearns broke through at the perfect time Thursday evening against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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His line drive to right field scored teammate Cristian Guzman in the bottom of the eighth inning and helped lift the suddenly red-hot Nats to a 3-2 victory at Nationals Park.
Washington (12-17) has now won four in a row and seven of its last nine. The Nats are 6-2 on their 11-game homestand.
Kearns entered the game batting .182 and had recorded just two hits in his previous eight games. But his turnaround night included a pair of singles, including the eventual game-winner. Kearns also scored on a two-run RBI hit by Wil Nieves in the second inning.
Nats starting pitcher Odalis Perez continued a string of strong starts with three hits allowed and no walks in seven innings. Both of Pittsburgh’s runs came on solo home runs against Perez — one in the fourth and the other in the seventh.
