Paul Skenes Leads Pirates to Victory Over Guardians

Skenes Delivers Six‑Strikeout Performance

Paul Skenes hurled a one‑run gem, striking out eight batters over seven innings. The outing marked his first start of at least seven innings since early May and came with seven hits allowed. After a rough start in Philadelphia, Skenes is now 3‑0 in July with a 2.46 ERA.

Batting Explosion Boosts Pittsburgh

Billy Cook produced a career‑high three hits and drove in two runs to power Pittsburgh’s offense. Nick Gonzales added two doubles, and Esmerlyn Valdez punctuated the game with a two‑run homer in the ninth. The blast gave Valdez the distinction of being the sixth Pirates rookie to post 20+ RBIs in a calendar month, and it helped secure a 7‑1 win.

Guardians Struggle to Keep Pace

Cleveland managed only two hits, both coming from Steven Kwan, and could not stay in the game. Joey Cantillo started for the Guardians and took the loss, dropping to an 8‑5 record for the season. The defeat ends a three‑series winning streak against Pittsburgh.

Looking Ahead to Next Games

Pittsburgh heads to New York for a three‑game series against the Yankees, with Braxton Ashcraft slated to take the mound on Monday. Meanwhile, Cleveland welcomes Minnesota for a four‑game set, and Tanner Bibee will open the homestand. Both clubs look to carry their recent successes into the upcoming matchups.