MLB roundup: Paul Skenes fans 9 as Pirates blank Dodgers

Paul Skenes struck out nine over 6 1/3 scoreless innings and the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates opened a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 3-0 victory on Friday.

Oneil Cruz hit an RBI single and later scored in a two-run fifth inning as the Pirates improved to 3-1 on their six-game road trip.

Skenes (3-2) gave up five hits with no walks on a career-high 108 pitches as he outdueled Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who entered on an 18-inning scoreless streak.

Yamamoto (3-2) allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits over five innings. Andy Pages hit a pair of doubles for Los Angeles, which lost for the fourth time in its past five games. The Dodgers are 8-10 since opening with an 8-0 record.

Nationals 5, Mets 4

James Wood singled to drive in the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth as host Washington snapped New York’s seven-game winning streak.

With Washington trailing 4-3, Dylan Crews led off the ninth against Ryne Stanek (0-1) with his third hit, a triple off Juan Soto’s glove at the wall, and scored on a single up the middle by Jose Tena. Two outs later, Wood hit a grounder that barely eluded second baseman Jeff McNeil and CJ Abrams raced all the way around, just beating Tyrone Taylor’s throw home.

Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos singled to start the Mets’ fourth, but Jesse Winker lined to first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, who threw to Abrams at second and took the return throw to complete a triple play.

Blue Jays 4, Yankees 2

Alejandro Kirk hit a two-run double with no outs in the ninth inning for visiting Toronto, which stopped a season-worst five-game losing streak with a victory over New York.

Devin Williams (0-2) blew his first save in five chances by not getting an out in the ninth with the Yankees nursing a 2-1 lead. He allowed a single to George Springer and hit Andres Gimenez with a pitch. Kirk then gave Toronto a 3-2 lead by hitting a 1-0 changeup over center fielder Trent Grisham’s head.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered for the Blue Jays, who had nine hits — matching their total from a three-game sweep in Houston. The Yankees’ Oswaldo Cabrera hit a tying single in the seventh through a drawn-in infield. Austin Wells’ sacrifice fly in the eighth gave New York a short-lived 2-1 lead.

Royals 2, Astros 0

Seth Lugo pitched eight shutout innings as host Kansas City beat Houston and extended its winning streak to five games.

Lugo (2-3) ended a three-start losing streak with his best effort in the young season as he struck out a season-best eight and allowed a season-low three hits. Kyle Isbel and Vinny Pasquantino each had a sacrifice fly.

Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. singled three times in four at-bats to extend his hitting streak to 17 games, the best current run in the majors. Astros starter Hayden Wesneski (1-2) scattered eight hits in five-plus innings and yielded two runs.

Braves 8, Diamondbacks 2

Chris Sale pitched five innings of one-run ball and remained perfect against Arizona as Atlanta won the opener of a three-game series in Phoenix.

Sale (1-2) improved to 4-0 with a 2.57 ERA in five career appearances against Arizona. Eli White and Austin Riley each had two hits and two RBIs for the Braves, while Michael Harris II had two hits and scored twice.

Arizona starter Zac Gallen (1-4) gave three runs on four hits, all in the second inning, in his five-inning outing.

Rays 1, Padres 0

Shane Baz fired seven shutout innings and visiting Tampa Bay handed San Diego just its second home loss in 14 games this season.

Baz (3-0) permitted just four hits and a walk while striking out six. Manuel Rodriguez worked the eighth and Garrett Cleavinger pitched the ninth for his first save of the season.

Michael King (3-1) absorbed the loss despite yielding only four hits and an unearned run in five innings. He walked one and struck out nine. A Xander Bogaerts error in the third led to the game’s only run on a Yandy Diaz sacrifice fly.

Rangers 2, Giants 0

Nathan Eovaldi prevailed in a pitchers’ duel with Justin Verlander, Wyatt Langford had an RBI double among three hits, and Texas opened a three-game series with a victory at San Francisco.

Chris Martin, Robert Garcia and Luke Jackson combined with Eovaldi on a four-hit shutout. Eovaldi (2-2) worked the first six innings, allowing three hits and a walk. He struck out seven.

Langford gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead with his two-out RBI double in the third. Verlander (0-2) kept the score at 1-0 until the sixth, when former Giant Joc Pederson singled in a run. Verlander was charged with two runs on five hits in six innings.

Marlins 8, Mariners 4

Jesus Sanchez’s home run capped a six-run fifth inning and Miami went on to defeat host Seattle in the opener of a three-game series.

Agustin Ramirez went 2-for-4 with a double and his first major league homer for the Marlins, who have won four of their past five games. Xavier Edwards had two hits and two RBIs for Miami. Cal Quantrill (2-2) gave up four runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings.

Dylan Moore and Jorge Polanco went deep for the Mariners, who had won four of their previous five. Seattle ace Logan Gilbert left after pitching three perfect innings with what the team called tightness in his right forearm.

Cubs 4, Phillies 0

Colin Rea went five scoreless innings and Pete Crow-Armstrong scored a run, drove in another and stole two bases as Chicago shut out visiting Philadelphia following a rain delay of more than two hours.

Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki each had two hits as the Cubs improved to 5-1 on an eight-game homestand and extended their league-leading run total to 167. Rea (1-0) gave up three hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.

J.T. Realmuto had two hits for the Phillies, whose losing streak increased to five games. Taijuan Walker (1-2) went just three innings, giving up two runs on six hits.

Twins 11, Angels 4

Trevor Larnach launched a three-run homer during Minnesota’s six-run fourth inning and the Twins set a season high in runs while routing Los Angeles in Minneapolis.

Byron Buxton homered, tripled and drove in three runs, and Larnach had two hits and four RBIs for Minnesota, which won for the third time in its past four games.

Pablo Lopez (2-1), who had not pitched since April 8 due to a right hamstring strain, allowed two runs on five hits over five innings. He threw a season-high 101 pitches. Mike Trout homered for the Angels.

Cardinals 3, Brewers 2

Lars Nootbaar went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI as St. Louis edged visiting Milwaukee, which lost center fielder Garrett Mitchell in the fourth inning to left oblique tightness.

Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore (2-2) allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits in six innings. Ryan Helsley pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his fourth save in five chances.

Brewers starter Chad Patrick (1-2) allowed two runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings. Christian Yelich had two hits and an RBI.

Reds 8, Rockies 7

Spencer Steer homered, Noelvi Marte and Santiago Espinal had three hits each, and Cincinnati beat Colorado on a drizzly night in Denver.

Elly De La Cruz, Blake Dunn and Austin Hays had two hits each, Graham Ashcraft (1-2) pitched an inning of scoreless relief and Emilio Pagan picked up his sixth save in seven opportunities for Cincinnati.

Jordan Beck hit two home runs for the second straight game and has five in the past three games for the Rockies. Michael Toglia finished with three hits and three RBIs, and Hunter Goodman had two doubles and scored three runs.

Athletics 6, White Sox 5

Jacob Wilson went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs as the Athletics rallied to defeat Chicago in West Sacramento, Calif., for their third straight win.

Tyler Soderstrom also had three hits, an RBI and a run, and Brent Rooker drove in the go-ahead run with a double. Justin Sterner (1-0) picked up his first major league win, and Mason Miller notched his eighth save despite serving up a two-run homer to Brooks Baldwin in the ninth.

Baldwin finished 2-for-4 and also had a double. Miguel Vargas doubled among his two hits and had an RBI for Chicago. Sean Burke (1-4) allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Orioles-Tigers, ppd.

Baltimore’s scheduled game at Detroit was postponed due to rain. The contest will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader on Saturday.

Red Sox-Guardians, ppd.

Boston and host Cleveland had their scheduled game washed away because of rain. The clubs will add an extra game on Saturday, part of a day-night doubleheader.

–Field Level Media