Paul Skenes and Brandon Lowe lead Pirates to 16-5 rout against Nationals

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes allowed one hit in six strong innings and Brandon Lowe homered for the third time in two games, driving in five runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates steamrolled the Washington Nationals 16-5 to begin a four-game series Monday night.

Skenes (3-1) struck out six and walked one, throwing a career-high 32 changeups among his 88 pitches while improving to 7-1 in his last 11 home starts. The only run he gave up came on a first-inning homer by CJ Abrams.

Lowe went 3 for 5 with a two-run single in the second and his sixth homer — a three-run shot in the Pirates' 10-run sixth. He had a grand slam and a solo shot Sunday at Wrigley Field in a 7-6 loss to the Cubs.

Lowe became the first Pirates player to knock in at least five runs in consecutive games since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920.

Oneil Cruz reached base four straight times for Pittsburgh and went 2 for 3 to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games. He had three RBIs and scored three runs.

Bryan Reynolds had a bases-loaded triple in the sixth and an RBI single in the second. He finished with three of the team's 16 hits.

Pittsburgh has scored 38 runs in Skenes' four starts this season after totaling 37 runs in his first 11 outings last year.

Skenes struck out three in the first, but Abrams hit a 99.5 mph fastball on a full count for his fifth home run and a 1-0 lead.

Cruz's bases-loaded walk tied it in the second against Cade Cavalli (0-1) before Lowe's two-run single and Reynolds' run-scoring single chased the right-hander after he allowed four runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Spencer Horwitz hit his first homer of the season leading off the third against Paxton Schultz for a 5-1 advantage.

Konnor Griffin added an RBI single in Pittsburgh's 10-run sixth.

José Urquidy allowed six hits and four runs, two on Jacob Young's second homer, as the Nationals batted around in the seventh. Evan Sisk worked two innings and struck out the side on 10 pitches in the ninth to end it.

Position player Joey Wiemer pitched the eighth for the Nats and allowed Joey Bart's sacrifice fly.

Nationals RHP Miles Mikolas (0-3, 12.41 ERA) starts Tuesday opposite Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (1-0, 1.00).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Pittsburgh Pirates' Bryan Reynolds (10) celebrates as he stands on first base after driving in a run with a single off Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli (not shown) during the second inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Jake Mangum (28) and Henry Davis, left rear, score on a single by Brandon Lowe off Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli (24) during the second inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Washington Nationals' CJ Abrams (5) is greeted by first base coach Corey Ray (23) as he rounds first after hitting a solo home run off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, left, during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals in Pittsburgh, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals in Pittsburgh, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Jonathan Quick says Monday night's game was his last in the NHL, meaning the 40-year-old is retiring to end a career that spanned nearly two decades and included a stretch in which he was one of the best goaltenders of his generation.

Quick and the New York Rangers lost to the Florida Panthers, 3-2.

“Team played great,” Quick said. "I wished I'd had a couple more saves for them. ... But it was still special, to see the way these guys played. It's an honor to play my last game with this group here."

Quick announced earlier in the day that Monday would be his finale, and that when the news got out the text messages and well-wishes began pouring in. The day became a trip down memory lane, Quick said, and the Rangers all took the ice for warmups wearing jerseys with his name and number 32 on the back.

“That was cool,” Quick said. “That was special from those guys.”

The game at Florida was his 921st appearance, counting playoffs.

“He earned the respect of his teammates, coaches and staff members through his work ethic and dedication to his craft,” Rangers general manager Chris Drury said in a statement posted on social media. “Jonathan is a special person and player, and the entire Rangers organization wishes him — along with his wife, Jackie, and three children, Madison, Carter and Cash — all the best in retirement.”

Quick backstopped the Los Angeles Kings to Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and ’14 and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP during the first of those two title runs.

The Milford, Connecticut, native was the U.S. starter at the 2014 Olympics and has a Cup ring from 2023 as a backup for the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas beat Florida in that series in 2023, and Quick shared a handshake with Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky when that matchup was over.

Bobrovsky — who led Florida to the Cup in 2024 and 2025 — made sure there was one last handshake line for Quick on Monday night, leading the Panthers over to the Rangers' side of the ice. Quick had already gone down the tunnel after the final buzzer, and Bobrovsky asked some of the Rangers to send word that Florida was waiting to give him an appropriate sendoff.

So, Quick returned and Bobrovsky was the first to embrace him and share a few congratulatory words.

“The guys came in and reminded me to get out there,” Quick said.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice said Florida didn't want to pay any homage to Quick during the game, so as not to disrupt the goalie's typical routines.

“Sergei had the lead there. He has a better understanding and respect for what Jonathan Quick has done in his career," Maurice said. “Both of them have got a couple of rings. They both get it. I think that’s just wonderful when the players respect the players the way we do.”

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) protects the net from Detroit Red Wings center Emmitt Finnie (58) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) stops the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game against Detroit Red Wings, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)