Nick Wass, Associated Press Pirates' Jason Bay hits a solo home run against the Nationals in the 11th inning last night in Washington. Click photo for larger image. Today Game: Pirates (Duke 2-2) at Nationals (O'Connor 1-1), 1:05 p.m. TV: FSN Pittsburgh/KDKA-AM (1020). Related articles Pirates Notebook: GM says team weighing all options on Perez Paul Meyer's Baseball Notebook: Fall Guys? Paul Meyer's Power Rankings: 5/7/06 Smizik: When the subject is power, Pirates are experts on outages Game Statistics Provided by Forecaster Pirates vs. Natioinals box score Game play-by-play

WASHINGTON -- It took 31 games and 23 losses, but the Pirates finally found that panic button.

And, at 7:11 p.m. yesterday, they pushed it with both hands.

That marked the moment manager Jim Tracy, desperate to revive a dormant offense, dispatched Ryan Doumit, a catcher by trade, onto the RFK Stadium infield to try first base for the first time in his life.

After only three days of tutelage and none-too-encouraging results.

"We have nothing to lose, everything to gain," Tracy explained beforehand. "We are struggling as badly as you can struggle offensively. When you have that ... there's nothing to lose."

He might want to keep that button depressed after witnessing its forceful and far-reaching impact last night.

Doumit sparked the Pirates with two early doubles, Victor Santos overcame a shaky start, the bullpen was perfect and Jason Bay homered in the 11th to produce a 5-4 victory against the Washington Nationals.

Oh, yeah, and the leadoff man contributed, too.

"We played a great ballgame," Tracy said. "I saw a lot of things tonight that would send you home optimistic."

Chief among them, of course, was Bay's winning shot.

Bay had a chance to bust open a 4-4 tie in the eighth inning, but he left the bases loaded by popping out to second base. That extended a 9-for-52 slump and kept his RBI total at a meager 12.

He more than compensated in his next at-bat with two outs in the 11th, launching a 2-1 high fastball from Washington reliever Felix Rodriguez over the left-field fence for his sixth home run.

"Knowing people are counting on you so bad, it's frustrating when you don't come through," Bay said. "I don't know if the homer felt like redemption, but it felt like, 'Finally.' "

That tidily summarizes the feeling about the offense as a whole, as it topped three runs for only the second time in 16 games.

And that outburst, many of the Pirates said afterward, had plenty to do with Doumit.

His two-run double in the second inning snapped the team's scoreless streak at 22 innings and its drought without an extra-base hit at 30 innings. He doubled again in his next at-bat and reached on a hit batsman in five official at-bats.

Doumit was as stunned as anyone earlier in the day when he saw his name on the lineup card in place of Craig Wilson at first.

"Oh, I was shocked," he said.

But hardly dismayed, judging by the bounce in his step all afternoon.

"Dude, I'm on cloud nine. I'm up for it," he said. "I'm a little nervous, too. I don't want to make a fool of myself. But I'm just going to go out there and give it my darndest every time they ask me to do it."

Tracy conceded the move was unconventional -- "Is it perfect? No," he said -- but he had no difficulty defending it afterward.

"Obviously, Ryan Doumit provided a huge lift for us tonight," Tracy said. "I've seen it many times where one guy rejuvenates a group."

"He's probably not the most seasoned guy at first," Bay said, grinning, "but any change in the offense is pretty nice. There's been nobody hitting."

Doumit's evening at first base was uneventful, save a wobbly catch of a Ryan Zimmerman popup in the 11th, prompting Tracy to say, "I saw some good things over there."

Tracy added it was likely Doumit will be there again today.

Doumit hardly was alone in lifting the Pirates.

Santos was tagged for four runs in the first two innings, including Alfonso Soriano's two-run home run in the first, but he faced the minimum 12 batters over the next four innings.

"I just got into a groove, from the end of the second inning on," Santos said.

Nate McLouth became the Pirates' first leadoff hitter this season to have more than two hits by going 3 for 6 with a double and a run. He was in an 0-for-25 spell coming in.

"It's about time, honestly," McLouth said. "Seriously, I was close to a suicide watch there."

Five relievers turned in five scoreless innings, and Mike Gonzalez worked the last two.

After Bay's home run, Washington threatened in the bottom of the 11th when Jose Guillen led off with a single and, after two outs, Royce Clayton's infield single put men on first and second. But pinch-hitter Marlon Byrd struck out swinging over a slider to end it.

It was Gonzalez's third strikeout, all on breaking pitches.

"I felt strong out there, man," he said.

Shortstop Jack Wilson exited in the middle of the third inning because of a cramp in his right hamstring that came while running the bases when he singled in the top half.

Tracy said he is uncertain if Wilson will sit out today, but he and Wilson called the injury minor.