Skenes strikes out 8 as Pirates take series from Guardians
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CLEVELAND (AP) -- Paul Skenes allowed one run and struck out eight in seven innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7-1 on Sunday.
Skenes (9-8) went at least seven innings for the first time since May 12. The All-Star right-hander gave up seven hits.
After allowing eight runs (seven earned) in four innings in a 10-6 loss at Philadelphia on July 1, Skenes is 3-0 with a 2.46 ERA.
Billy Cook had a career-high three hits and drove in two runs, Esmerlyn Valdez continued his torrid July with a two-run homer in the ninth and Nick Gonzales had two doubles as the Pirates won their fifth straight interleague series. They have gone 11-4 in that span.
Steven Kwan had two hits for Cleveland, which had won its past three series against Pittsburgh.
Cook gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead in the second with a base hit to right off Cleveland starter Joey Cantillo (8-5) to drive in Gonzales.
The Pittsburgh center fielder led off the fifth with a triple off the wall in the right-field corner before scoring when Cleveland catcher Austin Hedges had a throwing error on a pickoff attempt at third.
Cook extended the Pirates’ lead to 4-1 in the sixth with an RBI single up the middle to score Jacob Gonzalez.
Valdez’s drive down the left-field line off Will Dion in the ninth made him the sixth Pirates rookie with at least 20 RBIs in a calendar month.
Up next
Pirates: Head to New York for a three-game series against the Yankees. All-Star RHP Braxton Ashcraft (9-3, 3.49 ERA) gets the start on Monday.
Guardians: RHP Tanner Bibee (3-9, 3.90 ERA) goes on Monday when Cleveland opens a four-game set against Minnesota.
SATURDAY
GAME 1
Valdez and Gonzalez homer, Jones strikes out 9 as Pirates roll
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Esmerlyn Valdez and Jacob Gonzalez hit two-run homers, Jared Jones struck out nine in five innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7-1 on Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader.
Nick Gonzales added a solo shot in the sixth inning as the Pirates extended their winning streak to four games. At 51-47, it is the first time they are at least four games over .500 after the All-Star break since Sept. 25, 2018.
Cleveland All-Star rookie second baseman Travis Bazzana had an RBI triple in the third inning to drive in Steven Kwan for the lone run as the Guardians had a four-game winning streak snapped.
Pittsburgh’s 128 homers are fifth in the majors. Gonzalez put the Pirates on the board with a two-run drive to right field that went 428 feet off Cleveland starter Gavin Williams (10-5). Valdez extended Pittsburgh’s advantage to 4-1 in the sixth when he connected on a fastball and drove it over the wall in right-center.
Jones (2-1) allowed one run on three hits and walked one. After throwing six perfect innings in a no decision against Atlanta on July 8, the right-hander retired the first eight Cleveland hitters before Kwan’s base hit to left. Dating back to Jones’ July 2 outing against Philadelphia, he became only the third Pirates’ pitcher since 1957 to retire at least 30 batters in a row. Harvey Haddix retired 38 straight during two outings in 1959 and Jim Bibby got out 32 straight across two games in 1981.
Williams gave up five runs on seven hits in six innings. It was the second time in the right-hander’s four-year career he has allowed three home runs in a game.
GAME 2
Bazzana hits 2-run homer in 9th to rally Guardians
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Rookie All-Star Travis Bazzana hit a two-run homer to center field in the ninth inning for his first career walk-off hit and the Cleveland Guardians rallied for a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday night to split in a doubleheader.
The Pirates won the first game 7-1.
Patrick Bailey led off the ninth with a single to right, Steven Kwan followed with a double down the left-field line. Bailey tried to score from first but was tagged out at home by Pittsburgh catcher Rafael Flores Jr. after the relay throw by third baseman Nick Gonzales.
Bazzana -- the top overall pick in the 2024 amateur draft -- then connected on a 1-0 changeup by Dennis Santana (2-5) and drove it 414 feet for his eighth homer of the season and give Cleveland its fourth walk-off win of the season.
Cade Smith (3-1), the Guardians’ seventh pitcher of the night, got the win after retiring the Pirates in order in the ninth. Kwan had three hits.
Pittsburgh jumped out to a 3-0 lead after four innings, which included an improbable RBI double by Esmerlyn Valdez in the third. With one out and a runner on second, Valdez hit a towering fly ball to shallow center. Outfielder Petey Halpin lost the ball in the lights and hazy conditions as Cleveland was still dealing with smoke from wildfires in Canada.
The ball landed in right center and was picked up by right fielder David Fry. Gonzales beat the throw home to make it 2-0. According to Statcast, the ball reached an apex of 204 feet and had a hang time of 7.4 seconds.
Cleveland tied it in the eighth with three runs. Chase DeLauter’s base hit to right drove in Kwan, Brayan Rocchio scored on a wild pitch and DeLauter scored on Kahlil Watson’s single to right.