Michael A. Taylor, Ian Desmond lead Nationals' offensive attack in 9-3 win

PITTSBURGH - Whether it was adding Anthony Rendon and Yunel Escobar back to the lineup or the sight of Pirates right-hander A.J. Burnett on the mound, the Nationals' offense erupted in a 9-3 win over Pittsburgh.

Burnett gave up a career-high 14 hits against the Nationals on June 19. Tonight, the Nats drilled the 17-year veteran for 11 hits and five runs before knocking him out in the sixth.

"For us, it's a little bit of what we do," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "Yunel hit a couple of balls the other way. If we stay on the baseball, we got a chance. When he's really on, the ball is off the plate until it gets to the plate and then it's on it. He had a little bit of an issue with the breaking ball tonight and didn't have a great feel like he usually has for it, so that helped us out, too."

Michael A. Taylor set the tone on both sides of the ball early in the game for the Nationals. Numerous deep drives to center appeared to be headed for extra bases until the speedy Taylor ran them down while dealing with a blinding sun setting beyond home plate at PNC Park.

"Really good plays in the outfield," Williams said. "It's difficult early here. The sun is right in his eyes. He's the one out there with sunglasses on for a night game."

At the plate, Taylor turned in his first four-hit game in the big leagues. He led off the night against Burnett with a single, added a clutch two-out RBI base knock in the fourth, singled in the sixth and capped off the evening with a mammoth two-run homer in the eighth. The rookie entered the game scuffling at the plate, with just a .171 batting average in July.

"It's definitely nice just from a confidence standpoint," Taylor said. "It's just one game but it definitely helps."

Ian Desmond's resurgence continued tonight. The 29-year-old homered for the third straight game with a two-run shot to left in the seventh. Desmond also singled in the second and later scored on Burnett's wild pitch.

However, it was Desmond's eyes and patience that impressed Williams most.

"The last at-bat he had tonight," Williams said. "He ends up laying off pitches off the plate and draws a walk, and that just tells me he seeing it so much better. Yeah, he hit a homer. He also laid down a pretty good sac bunt. He's a team guy and he's doing whatever he can to help us win. But the last at-bat tonight is the epitome of this stretch he's been on. He's just seeing it well."

After watching his season batting average sink to .204 on Sunday, Desmond has gone 10-for-18 (.555) with four home runs, seven RBIs, four walks and eight runs scored.

"The struggles that he's had ... the track record can speak for itself, too," Williams said. "So at some point he's gonna see the ball and get hot and drive the baseball and he has in recent days."

"I think it's the Ian of old," Taylor added.

Rendon went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, but he did drive in a run on sacrifice fly in his first game back. After missing two games with a sore left wrist, Escobar delivered two doubles on a three-hit night to raise his average to .325, fourth best in the National League.

The Mets beat the Dodgers tonight, so the Nationals maintain their three-game lead in the NL East.