Offense Falls Asleep & Cruz Lacks Focus As Pirates Lose 4-3 to Nationals

The NS9 Postgame Show Powered by Primanti Bros breaks down the Pirates’ 4–3 loss to the Nationals—a game that started with a three-run first and then a long, quiet stretch from the offense. We dig into Oneil Cruz’s focus and base running lapse (despite some good swings), Bryan Reynolds’ effort on a key ball in play, and why accountability and fundamentals remain glaring issues under Don Kelly vs. the Derek Shelton era. On the bright side, Mike Burrows’ changeup and early dominance were encouraging, Justin Lawrence looked solid in his first action since an early-season injury, and the bullpen/rotation picture shows signs of promise—even as the Pirates drop the series and fall 20 games under .500. Use Promo Code NS930 for 30% off your first order at https://www.defer.coffee Use Promo Code NS9 for 30% off your first order at https://www.gritily.com Use Promo Code NORTHSHORENINE for $20 off your first order at https://www.seatgeek.com LIKE and SUBSCRIBE with NOTIFICATIONS ON if you enjoyed the show! NS9 MERCH: https://northshorenine.myshopify.com ►Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NorthShoreNine ►Website: https://www.northshorenine.com ►Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/northshorenine ►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northshorenine ►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northshorenine ►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northshorenine ►Discord: https://discord.gg/3HVYPg544m ►BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/northshorenine.bsky.social Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.