WASHINGTON (AP) — Luis García Jr. and Daylen Lile each homered twice, and José Tena also went deep for Washington as the Nationals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-5 on Friday night.
Foster Griffin (9-2) allowed a run and four hits in five innings, lowering his ERA to 2.87 for the Nationals. Washington has won five of six.
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Washington Nationals starting pitcher Foster Griffin throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
Washington Nationals' Daylen Lile runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
Washington Nationals second baseman Nasim Nuñez, front left, is late with the tag as Pittsburgh Pirates' Jake Mangum, second from right, steals second during the second inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
Washington Nationals' Luis García Jr. is greeted in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball gamea gainst the Pittsburgh Pirates, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
Bryan Reynolds homered for Pittsburgh. Mitch Keller (6-6) allowed five runs and eight hits in six innings.
The temperature at game time was 100 degrees, and the ball was certainly carrying. García opened the scoring in the first with his 17th homer of the season, a solo shot to right. An inning later, Lile hit a 417-foot drive to center to make it 2-0.
Reynolds' solo homer to center in the third went 426 feet to get the Pirates on the board, but after James Wood led off the bottom half with a triple, Tena hit a two-run shot — also to center — that went 434 feet.
Lile's RBI double later that inning made it 5-1.
García connected again in the seventh, hitting a two-run shot off reliever Isaac Mattson. Lile's second homer was a two-run drive in the eighth.
Brandon Lowe, Reynolds and Esmerlyn Valdez hit consecutive RBI doubles in the ninth for the Pirates, and Nick Gonzales added another one an out later.
Griffin improved to 5-0 in his last nine starts, with the Nationals going 8-1 in those games. He's allowed one run or fewer in six straight outings, although he had only two strikeouts Friday, his fewest since April 11.
Zack Littell (7-6, 5.29 ERA) starts for Washington against Pittsburgh's Braxton Ashcraft (8-3, 3.33) on Saturday in a July 4 game set to start at 11:05 a.m.
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Washington Nationals starting pitcher Foster Griffin throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
Washington Nationals' Daylen Lile runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
Washington Nationals second baseman Nasim Nuñez, front left, is late with the tag as Pittsburgh Pirates' Jake Mangum, second from right, steals second during the second inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
Washington Nationals' Luis García Jr. is greeted in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball gamea gainst the Pittsburgh Pirates, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi wiped the sweat from his forehead and breathed a sigh of relief. His Argentina teammates did the same.
A thrilling, unforgettable World Cup match with underdog Cape Verde was over — and the defending champions survived after being pushed to the brink.
Cape Verde equalized in regulation and again in extra time, but the Blue Sharks could not respond to Argentina's third goal, and La Albiceleste advanced to the Round of 16 with a 3-2 victory on Friday.
Even in defeat, the performance by Cape Verde — a tiny island nation off the western coast of Africa — will stand as one of the most remarkable stories of this, or any, World Cup.
The go-ahead score for Argentina was credited as an own-goal after Cristian Romero's header deflected off Cape Verde's Diney Borges in the 111th minute. Messi scored early in regulation, his record-extending 20th career World Cup goal. Lisandro Martinez scored in the 92nd to put Argentina ahead 2-1.
Sidny Lopes Cabral and Deroy Duarte scored for Cape Verde — both equalizers that stunned the pro-Argentina crowd in South Florida. Cabral's goal — a curling, right-footed strike past goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez in the 103rd minute — made an already wild game even more incredible, tying it at 2-all and raising the possibility of Messi facing standout Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha in a penalty shootout.
Argentina pushed back in front eight minutes later, held on from there and advanced to face Egypt — which beat Australia in a shootout earlier Friday — in Atlanta on Tuesday.
“As this team has demonstrated many times, and as I’ve said many times, it competes,” Messi said in Spanish. “And we competed to the end.”
Cape Verde’s memorable World Cup debut had been a stunning run that few outside the country of 525,000 could have predicted. Behind the stellar play of the 40-year-old Vozinha, Cape Verde became the smallest country to reach the knockout round, securing surprising draws against Spain and Uruguay and another against Saudi Arabia.
Vozinha had 10 saves against Argentina, including five against Messi.
“We dignify what our country is. We drew twice against the world champions, we took it to extra time,” Cape Verde coach Bubista said. “More than anything, it’s being proud of our players who were dignified in the World Cup. We showed our identity.”
Messi added another brilliant goal to his resume, sneaking behind the Cape Verde defense on a well-timed run as Martinez lofted a pass toward him, taking a quick touch and hammering a finish into the roof of the net for a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute.
The Argentina captain has seven goals in this tournament — one more France’s Kylian Mbappé in the Golden Boot race as the top scorer in this year’s World Cup — and extended his World cup record, moving two goals ahead of Mbappé on the career list. He has 12 goals during his record eight-match scoring streak.
He had the game's first chance when he sent skidding across the goal mouth but outside of the right post in the 15th minute. After getting taken down, he had a 25-yard free kick three minutes later that was easily gobbled up by Vozinha, who came up with marvelous nearly every time his team needed one.
Bubista and players remained on the pitch well after the final whistle. Some sat with their heads nestled in their chests. Other shared tearful embraces before waving to their small crowd of supporters, reality sinking in at the end of a ride that almost no one outside of their fearless island could have predicted.
“I have to give credit to our opponents,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “The truth is, when people say there’s no such thing as an easy opponent, today (Cape Verde) proved they’re a great team.”
See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
Cape Verde's Deroy Duarte celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal against Argentina during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Cape Verde's Gilson Benchimol (9) takes a shot against Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez (23) during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Argentina and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Cape Verde's Gilson Benchimol (9) reacts to a loss during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Argentina and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Cape Verde's Sidny Lopes Cabral (13) and Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) react after the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Argentina and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Players of Argentina celebrate after the World Cup round of 32 soccer match against Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Argentina's Cristian Romero celebrates after Cape Verde's Diney Borges (3) scored an own goal during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Argentina celebrates after Cape Verde's Diney Borges (3) scored an own goal during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) reacts after a goal scored by Cape Verde's Deroy Duarte (14) during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Argentina and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Cape Verde's Deroy Duarte (14) scores their opening goal against Argentina's Lisandro Martinez (6) and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez (23) during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Argentina and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Argentina's Lionel Messi scores the opening goal against Cape Verde during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) scores their first goal against Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (1) during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Argentina and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
