PITTSBURGH – Jason Bay drove in two runs and Jose Bautista homered among his three hits, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 7-4 victory over the revamped but still-slumping Washington Nationals on Friday night.

The Nationals played their first game since making a number of moves during the All-Star break, including an eight-player deal that landed them starting outfielder Austin Kearns and shortstop Felipe Lopez from the Cincinnati Reds.

Both players were in the lineup, but the Nationals had a familiar problem while losing their fifth in six games: a lack of offense. They left 12 on base, and Kearns and Lopez failed repeatedly to come through with runners in scoring position.

Lopez left six on base while going 0-for-4 and Kearns (0-for-3) grounded out against reliever Matt Capps with the bases loaded and the Nationals down a run in the eighth.

Kearns also grounded out in the first to strand Alfonso Soriano, who had doubled to start the game. Lopez struck out to leave the bases loaded in the fourth after Pirates starter Zach Duke – throwing only 49 of 91 pitches for strikes – got himself into trouble by walking three.

Lopez’s error at shortstop for misplaying Ronny Paulino’s line drive also led to a run in the third on Jack Wilson’s sacrifice fly that put the Pirates up 3-1.

Duke (6-8) won for the first time in a month despite being pulled in the sixth inning. Fighting his control – he walked four – he gave up three runs in 5 2-3 innings. Duke was 0-2 in five starts since beating St. Louis 9-7 on June 14.

The Pirates won only their second of seven games and fifth in 25 as their two All-Stars, Freddy Sanchez and Bay, keyed a two-run first inning against Ramon Ortiz (6-8). Sanchez doubled and scored on Bay’s single, and Sean Casey’s double made it 2-0.

Bautista hit his 11th homer on the second pitch of the fourth inning. Bay’s third hit of the game, a double, followed Wilson’s double in the fifth that made it 5-2.

Washington scored in the sixth on two singles, a walk and reliever Salomon Torres’ run-scoring wild pitch, but Lopez grounded out to leave runners on second and third.

Bay, going 3-for-4, didn’t have a letdown after becoming the first Pirates position player to start an All-Star game in Pittsburgh since third baseman Bob Elliott in 1944. Bay went 1-for-3 in the All-Star game.

Torres wasn’t charged with any runs in 1 1-3 innings despite throwing the run-scoring wild pitch. Mike Gonzalez pitched the ninth inning for his 14th save in as many opportunities after Roberto Hernandez gave up Soriano’s RBI triple in the eighth.

Nate McLouth added an RBI double in a two-run eighth against Reds reliever Jon Rauch.

There were few visible reminders in PNC that the All-Star game was played there three days before. The large star in center field was nearly invisible after the grass was cut in a different pattern, and all banners and signs were removed except for a large, lighted All-Star logo behind the stands in right.

Notes: Wilson also had three hits. … The Nationals have scored an NL-low 411 runs in 91 games. … Washington has lost nine of 10 on the road. … Ortiz is 1-4 in his last six starts.

AP-ES-07-14-06 2158EDT