Six shutout innings from Matt Chico were not enough for the Nationals to tie the season series with the Pirates. Saul Rivera gave up two runs in the seventh and after a six pitch eighth, Jon Rauch loaded the bases and gave up the winning run on a sacrifice fly. Check out the lead from The Post’s gamer:

PITTSBURGH, June 29 — The frustrated fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates are scheduled to stage a walk-out at PNC Park on Saturday night, a display of protest over more than a decade of institutional mediocrity.

They might, though, have picked a more stout opponent against which to cry out, because the Washington Nationals are among baseball’s most accommodating teams right now. Friday, they lost for the fourth straight time, blowing a two-run lead and succumbing in a 3-2 decision to the Pirates that was finally decided on Jose Bautista’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth.

That Barry Svrluga can write.

More from The Wash. Times: Nats come up short

Ronnie Belliard is the new #2 hitter (The Post) while Felipe Lopez falls to 7th. Why so high for FLop (The Wash. Times) I wonder.

The first thing my wife said when she arrived home last night was something along the lines of “what are those stupid uniforms the Pirates are wearing.” Yes, the Pirates wore red sleeveless jerseys last night. I don’t know why. At least they do it on Friday night and not Sunday afternoon like the Nats. More than any other day, Sunday should be the day to wear traditional uniforms. We weren’t the only ones who noticed (The Wash. Times)