Washington Nationals’ lineup for first of three with the Pittsburgh Pirates in D.C.

A split in Baltimore and two of three in Texas? Not bad. This year for Washington, you’ll take it. It may have been a little bit closer than necessary in their 6-4 win over the Rangers, but a win is a win is a win. Right?

“I wanted these guys to be aggressive early in the game, and they did that today,” manager Davey Martinez said after his club put up six runs in the first two innings and held on when the home team rallied for a run in the seventh and three in the ninth.

With 10 hits total, the six runs early, a 4 for 10 day with runners in scoring position, and yet another solid start from Jackson Tetreault, the Nationals took the series in Globe Life Field.

“Like I said, we get the ball in the strike zone, we hit the ball hard, and that’s the key for us, is to get the ball in the strike zone and hit fastballs. We got to be ready to hit the fastballs,” Martinez added.

What did the fifth-year skipper see from his offense, which collected six of their 10 hits on the night in the first two innings?

“We started chasing [them] a lot,” Martinez explained. “I thought we hit some balls well still. Maikel [Franco] hit a couple line drives. But you know what, sometimes that’s how the game goes, all you can do is get up there and try to swing, you can’t place the ball, but I thought us coming out today, after yesterday and scoring early was awesome.”

The Nationals’ top four hitters (César Hernández, Juan Soto, Josh Bell, and Nelson Cruz) were a combined 7 for 15 with four RBIs and all six runs scored between them, with Soto walking in four of five plate appearances and reaching base in all five, Hernández 1 for 4 with a run scored, Bell 3 for 5 with two runs scored and an RBI, and Cruz 2 for 5 with one run scored and three RBIs.

“[Soto] got on base for us and the other guys, Nellie and Josh, picked us up big time today, they hit the ball well.”

Next up it’s three with the Pittsburgh Pirates in D.C., starting with tonight’s 7:05 PM ET game.

HERE’S THE NATIONALS’ LINEUP FOR THE OPENER WITH THE BUCS: