Vargas caps dramatic rally as Nats secure historic DH sweep

PITTSBURGH -- The Nationals had twice the fun on Saturday, as they came back in Game 2 to sweep their doubleheader against the Pirates with an 8-6 victory that took every at-bat.

The Nationals trailed by two runs heading into the ninth inning, with veteran closer Aroldis Chapman staring them down from the opposing mound at PNC Park. He struck out two of his first three batters, but James Wood got to him with a single to trim the deficit to one run. Andrés Chaparro’s three-hit game wrapped up with a single to follow.

With two on, former Pirate Ildemaro Vargas sent a flare into right field that was nearly caught by outfielder Connor Joe, but it ricocheted off his glove and toward the infield to allow both runners to score and put Washington ahead.

“I didn’t even realize when he dropped the ball,” Vargas said through an interpreter. “I wasn’t looking. I realized it when [first-base coach Gerardo] Parra was yelling at me, ‘Go to second!’”

Vargas has tallied only eight pinch-hit at-bats this season, but in those few chances, he’s collected seven RBIs.

“He understands to stay in the moment,” manager Dave Martinez said. “He got the count to 3-1, and he took that pitch on purpose. He’s just trying to get on base. Worked the count to 3-2 and then he battled, didn’t try to do too much and went the other way with the pitch. But that’s what he does: He really works good at-bats.”

Keibert Ruiz finished a three-hit night of his own by driving in Vargas on a well-struck double to complete the four-run inning to stun the Pittsburgh crowd. With the comeback win in Game 2, Saturday marked the first time in Nationals or Expos history that the team swept the Pirates in a doubleheader; it was the 25th time the two clubs had battled in a twin bill.

“You always feel like hey, anything can happen,” Martinez said of the late push. “A guy gets on base, the next guy, the next guy hits a double, the next guy gets a base hit. So in those situations, we’ve got to continue to play. We really do. And we did it tonight.”

In Game 1, DJ Herz led a no-hit bid through five innings, which ended with a two-out knock in the seventh. But the Nationals went on to take that contest, 5-3.

Eight hours and 29 minutes after first pitch in that first leg, Kyle Finnegan closed the door on his second save of the day, with four Nats relievers stepping up to pitch both games of the doubleheader. Even when things got exhausting in a three-hour, 20-minute nightcap, the Nationals showed their grit and were rewarded.

“We basically almost used everybody out there. They fought,” Martinez said. “ … They didn’t give up, and I talk to these guys every day about them playing hard for the last out, and they did it again today.”