WASHINGTON -- Rookie pitcher Joe Ross was just 6 years old when fellow right-hander A.J. Burnett made his major league debut with the Marlins in 1999.

But Ross certainly looked like a sage veteran Friday night, as he picked up his second career win by striking out 11 with just one walk as the Washington Nationals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1 to end an eight-game winning streak by the visitors.

"He is calm, cool and collected with a good slider," Washington closer Drew Storen said of Ross. "He goes out there and attacks hitters. He trusts his stuff."

Ross said his slider felt sharp in the bullpen.

"It felt good so I relied on it. It is hard to lay off," he said. "I thought getting ahead of batters" was another key.

Catcher Wilson Ramos had two RBI hits to back batterymate Ross, who became the first Washington rookie since Stephen Strasburg in 2010 to reach double digits in strikeouts.

Ross (2-1) gave his struggling team a lift as he gave up just one run and six hits in 7 1/3 innings while veteran Pirates pitcher Burnett (6-3) yielded four runs and a career-high 14 hits in 6 2/3 innings of work but kept his team in the game.

"It wasn't his 'A' stuff. His will to compete got things down on the mound tonight," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said of Burnett. "He worked through it, a lot of time in the stretch. He made pitches when he had to. He was able to navigate the game. It was an impressive outing. He has been through so many things."

While Burnett made the 418th start of his career, it was just the third for Ross after he was called up from Double-A Harrisburg on June 6.

"Very good outing," Hurdle said of Ross. "We had seen some stuff on the video. The fastball plays; he had a very good slider tonight. We couldn't put the barrel on it."

David Carpenter got the final two outs in the eighth for the Nationals, and Storen pitched the ninth for his 20th save, but first at home in two weeks, in a showdown of second-place teams.

Center fielder Denard Span, first baseman Tyler Moore, left fielder Michael A. Taylor and shortstop Danny Espinosa also had two hits apiece for the Nationals, who banged out 14 hits without Bryce Harper who sat out with a strained hamstring.

Espinosa, in his second start of the year at shortstop, had an RBI triple in the seventh to make it 4-1 and chase Burnett.

With the win, Washington (35-33) snapped a four-game home losing streak while the Pirates (39-28) lost on the road for just the second time in nine outings. The Nationals have struggled in June, going 7-11 this month, but got a rare home win before a sellout crowd of 38,935.

Right fielder Gregory Polanco had two hits and drove in the only run for the Pirates, who had allowed just seven runs with five shutouts during their winning streak. Polanco was shaken up while trying to catch the Espinosa triple and was taken out of the game as Jose Tabata came in to play right.

"I don't think there is any concern," Hurdle said of Polanco. "I think he will be fine for tomorrow."

Washington third baseman Yunel Escobar, who had five hits Thursday, drove in a run with a groundout, and Ramos had an RBI double to give the Nationals a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

The Pirates trimmed the lead to 2-1 with an RBI single by Polanco in the second. Ramos had another RBI hit -- a single to center -- in the third to build the margin to 3-1 against Burnett.

Ross struck out center fielder Andrew McCutchen in his first two at bats -- with a slider in the first and a sweeping curve in the third.

Ross also struck out the side in the fourth and got his first big league hit in the bottom of the fourth on an infield single. "Hopefully the first of many," he said.

NOTES: Washington OF Bryce Harper was not in the starting lineup Friday after he left Thursday's game in the sixth inning with a mild left hamstring strain after making a throw from right field. Harper is hitting .344 with 22 homers and 53 RBIs. He leads the National League with a slugging percentage of .720. "He is sore; he is getting treatment," Washington manager Matt Williams said. "We will see where he is; he is off for today. We want to be cautious. We are taking the appropriate steps. Today, we will see how he feels." ... Pittsburgh entered the game with eight wins in a row and was 26-11 since May 9 to lead the majors. ... Pirates LHP Francisco Liriano (4-5, 2.94 ERA) will start Saturday against Washington RHP Max Scherzer (7-5, 1.93), who threw a one-hitter with 16 strikeouts on Sunday at Milwaukee. ... The Nationals put RHP Tanner Roark on the paternity list and brought back RHP Taylor Hill from Syracuse. Hill was optioned to Triple-A on Thursday when RHP Doug Fister came off the disabled list but said he did not leave the Washington, D.C., area.