Comeback win over Nationals boosts Bucs

In the Saturday night game, Jason Bay's homer helped Pittsburgh beat Washington.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- As usual, the Pittsburgh Pirates fell behind. Thanks to some stellar bullpen work, one big swing by Jason Bay, and help from the Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh pulled off a rare comeback victory.
Bay's homer with two outs in the 11th inning lifted the Pirates over the Nationals 5-4 Saturday night, ending a three-game losing streak.
"It was big," said Bay, who entered the day hitting .250, "not just for me, but the team."
Rebound
Pittsburgh fell behind 2-0 and 4-1, but managed to tie the game in the fourth, the way it stayed until Bay drove a high fastball from Felix Rodriguez (0-1) to left for his sixth homer of the season.
"One bad pitch," Rodriguez said. "Right in the middle of the plate."
Five Pirates relievers combined for five shutout innings. The last, Mike Gonzalez (1-2), went two innings. He allowed two singles in the 11th before striking out pinch-hitter Marlon Byrd to end it.
It was only the Pirates' third win in 23 games this season in which their opponents scored first.
"Hopefully, this is something that springboards you in the right direction," Pirates manager Jim Tracy said.
Washington has lost 11 of its last 14 games, and there were plenty of indications these were the two teams that entered the day with the most losses in the National League.
Take, for example, Washington's third run: It came courtesy of a wild pitch and two errors, all on one play. Then there was the Nationals' error that paved the way for Pittsburgh's third run. And a balk that moved along the Pirates runner who eventually scored in the fourth, tying the game at 4.
Offense withers
The Nationals had four hits in the first two innings, then mustered three singles over the next eight.
"We let it get away," Nationals manager Frank Robinson said.
Pittsburgh loaded the bases in the eighth with three consecutive singles, but reliever Jon Rauch got out of the jam with two popups. A hit batsman and two walks loaded the bases for the Pirates in the fifth, but manager Jim Tracy let his starter, Victor Santos bat, and he struck out.
Alfonso Soriano's ninth homer put Washington up 2-0 in the first inning; the Pirates have been outscored 36-10 in that inning this season.
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