Kyle Schwarber hit a tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning Monday to lift the Washington Nationals past the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 in the opener of a three-game series.

With two outs while facing Pittsburgh reliever Clay Holmes (2-2), Schwarber sent a 1-0 pitch into the stands in right field for his 13th homer, a solo shot that broke a 2-2 tie.

Schwarber also had an RBI single as did Juan Soto for the Nationals, who won their second game in a row and third in their past four.

Washington starter Jon Lester pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up two runs and six hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

Kyle Finnegan (3-2) pitched a scoreless, hitless seventh.

Brad Hand pitched a one-two-three ninth for his 12th save.

Kevin Newman hit a solo homer for the Pirates, who lost their eighth straight.

Pittsburgh starter JT Brubaker went five innings, allowing two runs and four hits with two walks and a strikeout.

In the second, Newman's one-out homer, his second, was just fair in left. That gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead and made Newman 8-for-21 (.381) in his career against Lester.

Washington moved ahead in the third. Victor Robles led off with a double to center and went to third on Lester's sacrifice bunt. Schwarber followed with a single to right to drive in Robles to tie it.

Trea Turner followed with a base hit to center, but Schwarber was thrown out trying to take third. Turner ended up on second on the play. Soto made it 2-1, driving in Turner with a single to center.

The Pirates tied it 2-2 in the sixth. Jacob Stallings opened with a double to center. After Phillip Evans lined out, Wander Suero relieved Lester. Newman's single to center moved Stallings to third. Erik Gonzalez's sacrifice fly to right scored Stallings.

--Field Level Media