Paul Skenes threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings, Oneil Cruz homered and drove in three runs, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-1 in the rubber game of a three-game series in Phoenix on Wednesday.
Skenes (4-5) gave up four hits, struck out seven, walked none and hit a batter while dropping his ERA to 2.15. It was his 10th quality start in 12 appearances this season.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa had three hits including two doubles, Henry Davis had two hits and an RBI and Jared Triolo had two hits for the Pirates, who broke it open with a five-run sixth after winning Tuesday’s game with a seven-run eighth.
Cruz’s two-run homer capped the Pirates’ scoring in the eighth.
Tim Tawa homered in the ninth for the Diamondbacks, who have lost seven of eight.
The Pirates, who have won two of their last three series and split the other, are 9-10 under interim manager Don Kelly.
The Pirates outscored Arizona 19-1 in the final 13 innings of the series.
Kiner-Falefa had a two-run double in the sixth, when Ke’Bryan Hayes and Bryan Reynolds also had RBI hits. Hayes’ single drove out Arizona starter Zac Gallen (3-7).
Gallen gave up six runs (five earned) and six hits in five-plus innings. He struck out three and walked three. Gallen leads the National League with 32 walks, and his 5.54 ERA is second highest among the 40 NL qualifiers.
The D-backs put two runners on base in only the third and sixth innings against Skenes, who threw first-pitch strikes to the 17 of the 26 batters that he faced.
Skenes struck out Lourdes Gurriel Jr. with runners on first and second to end the third, and he got Eugenio Suarez to fly out and Pavin Smith to ground out to end the sixth.
The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the second when Davis singled after Alexander Canario walked and Spencer Horwitz singled.
The Pirates made it 3-0 with a two-run fifth that included second baseman Jordan Lawlar’s second error. Hayes walked before Kiner-Falefa and Triolo singled to load the bases.
Cruz grounded to Lawlar, whose throw to second in an attempt to force Triolo went into left field, enabling two to score.
D-backs regular second baseman Ketel Marte missed his second straight game with the flu.
–Field Level Media
