Paul Skenes tossed six shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out eight to lead the host Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-3 win and a three-game sweep over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night.
Skenes (10-9) further solidified his case for his first National League Cy Young Award with another stellar performance. Lowering his ERA to an MLB-best 1.98, he picked up his third win in as many starts and has allowed only one earned run over that span (19 innings).
The reigning National League Rookie of the Year’s latest gem helped the Pirates secure their fifth win in their past six games. They are 12-4 over their past 16 games.
The Pirates continued to play spoiler against the Dodgers, who have lost four of their last five games.
Phillies 2, Brewers 0
Trea Turner snapped a scoreless tie with a run-scoring single in the seventh and Ranger Suarez tossed six shutout innings to pace visiting Philadelphia to a shutout victory over Milwaukee in a matchup between division leaders.
Alec Bohm ignited the go-ahead rally in the seventh with a one-out triple off Tobias Myers (1-2). Bryson Stott grounded out, but Turner lined an 0-2 pitch to left for an RBI single. The Phillies added a run in the ninth off Joel Payamps on a leadoff double by Harrison Bader and Stott’s two-out double.
In the bottom of the ninth, Bader robbed Andruw Monasterio of an apparent home run with a leaping grab above the center field wall. Brewers starter Freddy Peralta, who entered with a major league-best 16 victories, allowed two hits over five scoreless innings.
Yankees 8, Astros 4
Ryan McMahon recorded a multi-hit, multi-RBI game and Trent Grisham clubbed a backbreaking three-run homer in the eighth inning as visiting New York topped Houston to take the rubber match of a three-game series.
The Yankees closed to within three games of the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. The Yankees will host Toronto in a three-game weekend series starting Friday. Carlos Rodon (16-7) allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts in six innings.
After the Astros shaved a three-run deficit to 4-3 in the seventh, McMahon (3-for-4, three RBIs) bounced a single that extended the Yankees’ lead to 5-3 in the eighth. Grisham followed with his 30th home run. Yordan Alvarez (4-for-5, two RBIs) socked a two-out solo home run off Rodon in the third and scored on a Jose Caballero throwing error following his leadoff double in the sixth. Alvarez added an RBI single in the ninth.
Royals 4, Angels 3
Bobby Witt Jr. hit Kansas City’s fourth solo home run of the night, a tiebreaking drive in the eighth inning, and the host Royals rallied for a victory over Los Angeles.
Luis Rengifo’s three-run, first-inning homer off Kansas City rookie Noah Cameron gave the Angels a 3-0 lead. But the Royals’ Adam Frazier and Vinnie Pasquantino homered off Angels starter Kyle Hendricks, who yielded just one other hit over six innings.
Cameron walked five and allowed five hits but no more runs after the first in his five-inning outing.
Rays 4, Guardians 2
Ryan Pepiot dominated over five no-hit innings as Tampa Bay beat Cleveland for its season-best seventh straight win.
Pepiot (11-10) allowed just two walks while striking out six. Christopher Morel went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI for the Rays.
Jose Ramirez homered and singled while Kyle Manzardo went deep for the Guardians, who have lost 10 of their past 15 games. Logan Allen (7-11) yielded four runs (three earned) on six hits in five-plus innings.
