Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Tim Redding was solid on the mound, as the Washington Nationals downed the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-2, in the finale of a four-game set at Nationals Park.

Redding (4-2) allowed one run on six hits and struck out five over 6 1/3 innings for the Nationals, who closed out an 11-game homestand with a record of 8-3.

Cristian Guzman and Austin Kearns each had two hits and scored a run, with Kearns driving in a run. Rob Mackowiak went 2-for-3, while Aaron Boone belted a solo home run.

Ian Snell (2-2) was charged with four runs on 10 hits in six-plus innings for the Pirates, who have dropped two straight and three of their last four contests overall.

Adam LaRoche homered, doubled and knocked in both runs, while Xavier Nady was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

The Nationals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Guzman singled, advanced to second when Lastings Milledge was hit by a pitch and scored on an RBI single by Nick Johnson. Kearns followed with a single that plated Milledge.

Boone led off the fourth and hammered Snell's 0-1 slider over the wall in left-center to make it 3-0, but LaRoche put the Pirates on the board in the fifth with a solo blast that just made it over the wall in right.

Redding was lifted in the seventh after he surrendered a one-out single to Nady and a double to LaRoche. Saul Rivera took over on the mound and nullified the threat, getting Jose Bautista and Doug Mientkiewicz to ground out.

Washington tacked on a run in the home-half on a single by Felipe Lopez and another in the eighth on a pinch-hit double by Wily Mo Pena.

LaRoche notched an RBI single in the ninth, but it was not enough for the Pirates.