By COLIN BEAZLEY

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

PITTSBURGH — Mere minutes after some near-fireworks on the field, Oneil Cruz set some off above PNC Park.

A batter after Andrew McCutchen was nearly hit in the head, causing both benches to clear and reliever Jorge Lopez to be ejected, Cruz hit a grand slam into the right-field bleachers. The seventh inning homer, Cruz’s third of the season, clinched a 6-1 Pittsburgh win against Washington.

Lefty Bailey Falter was the winning pitcher, throwing seven scoreless innings in by far the best start of his season. He faced the minimum 21 batters, allowing two hits and a walk but inducing two double plays. Catcher Henry Davis caught the third runner stealing.

Davis was responsible for the two other Pittsburgh runs. He crushed a ball off the leftfield foul pole in the fifth inning to open the scoring, keeping it just fair after hitting two rockets foul in the past few days. He added an RBI groundout in the seventh, trading a broken bat for a score.

For awhile, it seemed like Davis’s fifth inning homer would be the only run Pittsburgh needed. Falter was excellent, inducing weak contact and finishing innings quickly. He need 83 pitches to complete seven innings and likely would have thrown an eighth if not for Pittsburgh’s long, five-run rally in the seventh.

There were runners on first and second for McCutchen’s at-bat.

Lopez had just hit designated hitter Bryan Reynolds and was struggling with command, but McCutchen seemed to think Lopez’s sinker at his head was intentional.

McCutchen homered off Lopez last year while Lopez was with the Cubs.

Both benches cleared as McCutchen and Lopez jawed back and forth, with both bullpens sprinting to join the action.

There was never anything more than discussion, but left fielder Tommy Pham had to be held back by Cruz. Reliever Dennis Santana, who had been warming up in the Pirates’ bullpen, was the last one off the field.

Left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson pitched a 1-2-3 eighth. Righty Chase Shugart allowed a run in the ninth, the only inning the Nationals brought more than three hitters to the plate.

IT WAS OVER WHEN … Cruz’s grand slam put the game out of reach for the Nationals, clinching the Pirates’ second win in the third game of the series.

ON THE MOUND Falter was terrific, lowering his ERA from 7.20 to 4.91 to earn his first win of the season. While he struck out just two batters, he avoided hard contact and never allowed a runner to reach second base.

AT THE PLATE Pittsburgh’s bats came alive in the eighth, stringing together three hits, a hit by pitch and a walk for five runs. Shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled twice, while Cruz added a sixth inning single to his grand slam.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Falter was excellent, dominating the Nationals’ lineup even without traditionally overpowering stuff. He kept the Pirates alive while they waited for the bats to wake up, which they did on Cruz’s grand slam.

UP NEXT The Pirates close out the four-game series tomorrow at 12:35 p.m.

Lefty Andrew Heaney (0-1, 3.00 ERA) will start against Washington righthander Trevor Williams

(1-1, 7.36).