PITTSBURGH -- Solid starting pitching. A couple of defensive gems. Just enough hitting to make a difference. For a night, the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates managed to recapture a little bit of their 2013 magic. Do it a few more times and maybe their miserable start to 2014 will become a memory. Edinson Volquez allowed one run in six sharp innings, Andrew McCutchen and Josh Harrison made a splash both at the plate and in the field, and the Pirates edged the Washington Nationals 3-1 Thursday night. Volquez (2-4) ended a three-game losing streak by limiting the Nationals to three hits, walking two and striking out four. Mark Melancon worked the ninth for his eighth save. McCutchen drove in two runs for the Pirates and made a sliding grab with two on in the ninth to end the game. Josh Harrison added two hits for Pittsburgh and added a run-saving catch of his own for the Pirates. "Thats what were known for, just playing routine baseball, not doing anything too out of the ordinary," McCutchen said. "(Just) getting in scoring position, getting some runs home and having pitching shut it down for us." Ian Desmond hit his eighth homer of the season for the Nationals, but Washington left 10 runners on base. Rookie Blake Treinen (0-2) struggled with his command in his second career start, giving up two runs on four hits in 5 2-3 innings, striking out four and walking five. The Nationals have lost three of four. "Our approach was fine," Washington manager Matt Williams said. "They made some really nice plays. That happens. Its big league baseball. They get paid to do that." Volquez had been a pleasant surprise during the seasons first month, but scuffled through his previous four starts, going 0-3 with a 10.19 ERA as part of a slide that had the Pirates well off the pace in the NL Central a year after making the franchises first post-season appearance in more than two decades. Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle wondered if Volquez -- who led the National League in walks per nine innings last season -- was suddenly throwing too many strikes. The former All-Star did a better job mixing location and speed against Washingtons patchwork lineup. His only real miscue came on a 2-0 fastball in the fourth that Desmond sent into the seats in centre field that briefly tied the game at 1. It was the 10th home run Volquez has surrendered this season, but he responded by retiring nine of the last 10 batters he faced. "Just keeping the ball in the strike zone, keeping the ball in the ballpark," Volquez said. "I did it for a couple innings and Desmond hit a homer. A solo shot cant beat you, its only one run. You stay in the game and keep pitching." Treinen, who faced Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw in his previous major league start, wasnt quite as crisp. He retired the first eight batters he faced thanks in part to a sinker that topped out at 97 mph before getting loose in the third. He loaded the bases with two outs on a pair of walks and a single by Harrison before hitting McCutchen with an 80 mph changeup to force in a run. Trouble surfaced again in the fifth thanks in part to Harrison, who has provided a spark in right field even as the Pirates mark time until the likely arrival of highly touted prospect Gregory Polanco next month. Harrison walked to lead off the inning and moved to second on a fly to centre before streaking home on a sharp single up the middle by McCutchen. Harrison is 13 for 37 (.351) since being moved into the leadoff spot earlier this month. Washington loaded the bases in the eighth off Tony Watson, but the left-hander retired Scott Hairston on a fly to shallow left field to get out of it and Melancon survived despite putting two runners on with McCutchens sliding grab on a sinking liner by Anthony Rendon sealing it. NOTES: The Pirates claimed right-handed reliever Josh Wall off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday and assigned him to Triple-A Indianapolis. Wall is 1-1 with a 15.15 ERA in 15 career major league games. To make room for Wall on the 40-man roster, the Pirates designated RHP Phil Irwin for assignment. ... Nationals 1B Adam LaRoche went 0 for 2 in a rehab start for Class A Potomac on Thursday night. LaRoche has been on the disabled list since May 10 with a strained right quadriceps. LaRoche is eligible to come off the DL on Sunday. ... The series continues Friday night when Washingtons Jordan Zimmerman (3-1, 3.70 ERA) faces Pittsburghs Charlie Morton (0-6, 3.45). Francisco Lindor Indians Jersey .com) - Pittsburgh Steelers running back LeVeon Bell, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Elvis Dumervil and New England Patriots punter Ryan Allen were selected as the AFCs top players for Week 14 of the NFL season. Franmil Reyes Jersey . The Calgary skip fell 10-8 to Swedens Oskar Eriksson in semifinal action Saturday and will face Switzerlands Peter de Cruz for the bronze medal (Saturday at 10pm et/7pm pt on TSN2). https://www.cheapindiansonline.com/2668u-tyler-olson-jersey-indians.html . -- John Senden never imagined it would take more than seven years to win again. Vada Pinson Jersey .com) - Ames, IA (SportsNetwork. Rick Sutcliffe Indians Jersey . CBS Sports Jon Heyman is reporting that Santana will sign a one-year deal, likely in the next two days with one of a trio of suitors, with the Toronto Blue Jays believed to be heavily involved. PHILADELPHIA -- Theres been no slowing down Andrew McCutchen or the Pittsburgh Pirates lately. The reigning NL MVP hit the first inside-the-park homer of his career and the Pirates protected their lead in the wild-card race, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 Wednesday night. Russell Martin also homered in the fifth inning, and the Pirates bullpen helped secure the teams sixth victory in seven games. McCutchen tied the score when he scored standing up after his drive off the wall in straightaway centre field. "With (McCutchens) speed," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said, "it was an easy finish for him." The star slugger said he knew he had an inside-the-park homer when the ball first struck the wall. "Its brick, so anything coming that hard is going to come off it and go that way," he said. "I knew when it hit the wall that I had a good chance." The last-place Phillies have had a difficult time trying to contain McCutchen, who is 18 for 36 in his last 10 games against Pittsburghs in-state rivals. Two batters after McCutchens electrifying homer, Martin gave the Pirates the lead for good with a more-traditional long ball. He sent his ninth homer of the season a few rows deep into the centre-field seats, putting Pittsburgh ahead 4-3. Pittsburgh starter Vance Worley (7-4), who pitched two seasons for the Phillies, won in his return to Philadelphia since being traded in 2012. The Pirates bullpen, which entered with the NLs fifth-best ERA, kept Philadelphia hitless for four innings. Bobby LaFromboise, John Holdzkom and Tony Watson pitched clean innings, and Mark Melancon did the same in the ninth to convert his 28th save in 32 opportunities. Hurdle said Worley had "inconsistent command," forcing him to rely on his bullpen to pick him up. Worley agreed with his managers assessment. "Stuff was sloppy and did the opposite of what I wanted the ball to do," he said. "It seemed like my ffour-seam (fastball) was sinking, and my sinker was cutting, and my curveballs were nowhere in the zone.dddddddddddd And if I threw my cutter right it was 5 feet short. I just had to keep battling and trust what I had and trust my defence behind me." Cody Asche doubled and scored two runs for the Phillies, who have lost three of four. Phillies starter Jerome Williams (3-1) helped Philadelphia more from the batters box than from the pitchers mound. The right-handers two-run single in the fourth doubled his career RBI total to four and gave the Phillies a 3-2 lead. Williams hit was the last of the night for Philadelphia. In the fifth, McCutchen and Martin, who finished with three RBIs, homered off Williams to erase Pittsburghs deficit. TRAINERS ROOM Pirates: 3B Pedro Alvarez has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in the fourth metatarsal of his left foot, for which the typical recovery time is four to six weeks. Alvarez has appeared in only one game since Aug. 26, when he first sustained the injury. Phillies: LF Domonic Brown exited in the sixth with a bruised left shoulder. ... LHP Cliff Lee had his left elbow examined by three physicians, including the teams, in recent weeks. He will remain on his present rehab plan and will not throw until November, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. ... SS Jimmy Rollins, who sustained a left hamstring strain Monday, has no timeline for a return, Amaro said. UP NEXT Pirates: LHP Francisco Liriano (4-10, 3.74 ERA) takes the mound for the rubber match Thursday. He earned a win Saturday, his first in his past seven starts. Phillies: RHP A.J. Burnett (8-15, 4.29) gets the ball Thursday night. He has gone at least six innings in each of his last six starts, a streak that dates to Aug. 8. ON A ROLL Pirates LF Starling Marte used a sixth-inning single to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, during which he is 16 for 40. He also doubled in the eighth and finished 2 for 4. ' ' '