Pirates survive 2 bases-loaded scares, beat Cubs 4-3 on a throwing error to clinch series

CHICAGO (AP) — Yohan Ramírez escaped bases-loaded jams in the 10th and 11th innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates took advantage of a throwing error by Caleb Thielbar to score the go-ahead run in a 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday that clinched the three-game series.

Alex Bregman’s RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning on an 0-2 pitch off Dennis Santana tied the score 3-3 but the NL Central-leading Pirates (9-5) rebounded and won for the eighth time in 10 games, improving to 2-0 this season in series against division rivals.

Oneil Cruz was 4 for 5 with a double, becoming the first Pittsburgh player with at least four hits and three stolen bases in a game since Matt Lawton on July 26, 2005, and Nick Yorke had three hits.

Chicago stranded 16 runners and went 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position. Michael Busch went 0 for 3 and is hitless in 30 at-bats.

Pittsburgh went ahead in the 11th when Brandon Lowe hit a two-out grounder to Thielbar (1-2), who bounced his throw to the infield side of first, and the ball bounced off Matt Shaw’s mitt for an error that allowed Mitt Gonzales to score from second. Lowe was credited with an infield single.

TIGERS 6, MARLINS 1

DETROIT (AP) — Riley Greene had a three-run homer and four RBIs, Drew Anderson ended the game by retiring Jakob Marsee in a 14-pitch at-bat for his first major league save and Detroit beat Miami to get A.J Hinch his 400th win as Tigers manager.

Rookie Kevin McGonigle scored twice for Detroit, which has won two straight following a five-game losing streak. Spencer Torkelson reached base three times, including an eighth-inning RBI single.

Marlins catcher Agustín Ramírez and first baseman Connor Norby made errors, raising Miami’s NL-high total to 15 in 15 games.

Casey Mize (1-1) allowed one run and six hits with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings and Anderson finished with 3 1/3 hitless innings that included a pair of walks. The game-ending at-bat by Marsee, who is from the Detroit area and had a large contingent of family and friends at the ballpark, was the longest in the major leagues this season.

Colt Keith had an RBI double in the first and scored on Greene’s single off Janson Junk (0-2), who gave up five runs — four earned — and five hits in five innings.

PHILLIES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 3

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the third inning and Bryce Harper went deep two pitches later, boosting Philadelphia over Arizona to stop a three-game losing streak.

Arizona, which had won three straight, did not use catcher Gabriel Moreno, who left Friday’s game because of left lower back tightness and was sent for an MRI.

“He’s got a lower back issue that’s not a bone or the typical back situation. It’s more muscular in nature,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “It’s looking like a IL stint, for sure. ... We think it could be a very quick turnaround.”

Ketel Marte hit his 14th career leadoff home run and Adrian Del Castillo had an RBI single for a 2-0 lead in the first off Taijuan Walker (1-2). Batters are 10 for 19 (.526) in the first inning with nine runs off Walker in three starts.

Schwarber homered off a changeup from Brandon Pfaadt (0-1), his fourth home run this season, and Harper followed with a 419-foot drive on a fastball for his third homer.

Walker allowed two runs and four hits in five innings. Brad Keller gave up a two-out RBI single to Jose Fernandez in the eighth, then struck out Nolan Arenado to strand a runner on third.

TWINS 7, BLUE JAYS 4

TORONTO (AP) — Trevor Larnach hit a three-run home run, Brooks Lee added a solo shot and Minnesota used a seven-run third inning to beat Toronto for its fifth win in six games.

Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer left in the sixth inning because of a fractured big toe on his left foot. Springer fouled a ball off his foot in the third inning but completed his at bat, grounding out to third base.

Twins right-hander Joe Ryan (2-1) allowed two runs and two hits in seven innings to win his second straight start.

Lee started the decisive third inning with his second home run in two games and second this season. Ryan Jeffers drew a bases-loaded walk and Josh Bell drove in two runs with a bloop single to shallow center.

Larnach capped the inning with a 398-foot drive to right, his first homer of 2026.

The Twins have homered in 25 consecutive games in Toronto, hitting 53 total homers in that span. Their last game without a homer in Toronto was August 25, 2017.

Daulton Varsho and Jesús Sánchez hit two-run home runs for Toronto.

ROYALS 2, WHITE SOX 0

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Wacha struck out seven while pitching four-hit ball through eight innings, Maikel Garcia homered and Kansas City beat Chicago as its scoreless streak reached 20 innings.

Garcia opened the game with a leadoff homer and the Royals added another run in the eighth inning when Garcia doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Vinnie Pasquantino.

Wacha (2-0) walked one before giving way to Lucas Erceg, who worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth save of the season.

Erick Fedde (0-3) took the loss after allowing one run on three hits in five innings for Chicago, which last scored in the seventh inning of a 2-0 win over Kansas City on Thursday and lost 2-0 on Friday.

Chicago threatened in the first inning when Andrew Benintendi doubled with two outs before Colson Montgomery flew out to end the inning.

REDS 7, ANGELS 3

CINCINNATI (AP) — Nathaniel Lowe hit a three-run double in a four-run first inning, and Cincinnati stopped a three-game losing streak with a victory over Los Angeles.

New Angels manager Kurt Suzuki was ejected for the first time in the eighth inning when Logan O’Hoppe was called out for interference for not staying in the runner’s box while heading to first base on a strike three pitch that bounced to the backstop.

Suzuki had left the dugout in the sixth to argue Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson did not properly execute a ABS challenge.

Elly De La Cruz had three hits for the Reds.

Pierce Johnson (1-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for his first win with the Reds after starter Brandon Williamson walked a career-high six while allowing three runs in four innings.

Angels rookie right-hander George Klassen (0-1), making his second big league start, left in the third inning because of a bruised nail on his right index finger. He allowed five runs, five hits and five walks.

Los Angeles reliever Brent Suter got 11 outs with 39 pitches.

ATHLETICS 11, METS 6

NEW YORK (AP) — Tyler Soderstrom hit his first two homers this season and drove in five runs Saturday as the Athletics roughed up Kodai Senga in a victory over the struggling New York Mets.

Carlos Cortes launched a three-run shot for the Athletics, who have won four straight games — two apiece against the Yankees and Mets in New York.

Senga (0-2) gave up seven runs over 2 2/3 innings in the worst outing of his major league career. He allowed five runs three times in his first 54 regular-season starts.

With slugger Juan Soto on the injured list, the Mets have been outscored 29-9 during a four-game skid that’s followed a four-game winning streak.

Soderstrom launched a two-run homer in the third before Cortes chased Senga with his three-run drive.

New York cut a six-run deficit to 7-6 with homers from Bo Bichette, Francisco Alvarez and Jorge Polanco. But the Athletics scored four runs off reliever Luke Weaver in the eighth, when Shea Langeliers hit an RBI single and Soderstrom sent a three-run shot to right field for his fifth career two-homer game.

RAYS 5, YANKEES 4, 10 INNINGS

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Taylor Walls and Jonathan Aranda had run-scoring infield grounders in the 10th inning, and Tampa Bay rallied late twice to beat the Yankees and extend New York’s losing streak to four.

Former Ray José Caballero, in a 1-for-29 slide, twice had go-ahead hits for the Yankees. His two-out, two-run double off Bryan Baker gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead in the eighth but Tampa Bay tied the score in the bottom half when Nick Fortes doubled leading off against Max Fried and scored on Yandy Díaz’s infield hit, a high-hopper to first baseman Ben Rice.

Caballero had an RBI single in the 10th against Cole Sulser (1-0) for a 4-3 lead, but Chandler Simpson reached on a bunt single off David Bednar (0-2) leading off the bottom half, moving automatic runner Cedric Mullins to third, and Walls bunted to Bednar, whose throw home was too late to catch Mullins on what was ruled a single.

Díaz was intentionally walked and, with left fielder Cody Bellinger brought in on the right side of a five-man infield, Hunter Feduccia struck out.

Aranda hit a one-hopper over Bellinger that glanced off the glove of onrushing second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., as Simpson crossed the plate standing on what was scored a fielder’s choice. After recovering the ball, Chisholm threw too late to first trying for what he thought could be a double play, hoping Díaz would be ruled out for evading him on the basepath.

GUARDIANS 6, BRAVES 0

ATLANTA (AP) — Rookie left-hander Parker Messick pitched four-hit ball into the seventh inning and José Ramírez hit his second home run of the season as Cleveland beat Atlanta.

Chase DeLauter had an RBI double and Daniel Schneemann added a two-run single off the bench.

Messick (2-0) struck out five and walked two in 6 2/3 innings. He has an 0.51 ERA through three starts, allowing one run in 17 2/3 innings.

Atlanta, which entered 5-0 against left-handed starters, was held scoreless for the first time this season.

Erik Sabrowski struck out two in a perfect eighth and Shawn Armstrong worked the ninth to complete Cleveland’s first shutout this year.

Ramírez launched a solo homer to left field on an 0-2 pitch in the first inning. He finished 2 for 4 with two stolen bases and a walk.

NATIONALS 3, BREWERS 1

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Foster Griffin didn’t allow a hit through five innings and hot-hitting James Wood drove in a pair of runs as Washington held on for the win, handing Milwaukee its fourth consecutive loss.

Griffin held the Brewers hitless until a lead-off single by Joey Ortiz, Milwaukee’s No. 9 hitter, in the sixth. Milwaukee eventually loaded the bases in the inning but came up empty when pinch-hitter Jake Bauers grounded out against Brad Lord, who relieved Griffin.

Griffin (2-0), who returned to the majors this year after spending three seasons in Japan, pitched 5 1/3 shutout innings, giving up one hit. He struck out one and walked three in the 80-pitch outing.

Lord and Cionel Perez pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings before turning it over to Clayton Beeter, who notched his second save in three tries but had to pitch out of trouble. After surrendering a lead-off homer in the ninth to William Contreras, Christian Yelich struck out swinging on a wild pitch and ended up at second. The Brewers eventually loaded the bases with two outs before Ortiz grounded out to the mound to end it.

The teams were locked in a scoreless battle until the fifth when Wood, who had four hits, including two doubles, in Washington’s win on Friday night, lined a two-run double off Milwaukee starter Kyle Harrison (1-1).

RED SOX 7, CARDINALS 1

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Willson Contreras drove in three runs against his former team, Ranger Suárez pitched six scoreless innings and Boston set a season high for runs with a win over St. Louis.

Boston, which broke open the game with a five-run ninth inning, has won three of four after a 2-8 start.

Jordan Walker hit his NL-leading sixth home run for the Cardinals.

A three-time All-Star, Contreras was acquired by Boston from St. Louis in a December trade. He put the Red Sox ahead 2-0 with a two-run double in the fourth off Kyle Leahy (1-2) and added run-scoring single in the ninth for his first three-RBI game with the Red Sox.

Suárez (1-1) lowered his ERA from 8.64 to 5.02, allowing three hits with six strikeouts and two walks. He had not pitched past the fifth inning in either of his first two starts this season after signing a $130 million, five-year contract as a free agent.

Walker homered in the eighth off Garrett Whitlock.

Caleb Durbin had a two-run single in the ninth, and Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran had run-scoring hits.

ORIOLES 6, GIANTS 2

BALTIMORE (AP) — Jeremiah Jackson finished a triple short of the cycle, Gunnar Henderson homered and Baltimore beat San Francisco.

Colton Cowser had two hits and Coby Mayo drove in two runs for the Orioles, who have won four of five.

Grant Wolfram (1-0) pitched a scorelss inning for the win as five Baltimore relievers combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings.

With the score tied 2-all in the fourth, Mayo’s fielder’s choice grounder scored Leody Tavares with the go-ahead run. Jackson followed with a double to score Mayo.

Jackson homered to left field against Caleb Kilian in the seventh and singled in the eighth.

Henderson gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead with a solo homer in the third, his sixth of the season.

Heliot Ramos had two hits and two RBIs for the Giants, who had won a season-high three straight. Logan Webb (1-2) allowed four runs and five hits over six innings.

Baltimore right-hander Chris Bassitt, roughed up for 10 runs in 6 1/3 innings over his first two starts, gave up two runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings while throwing 89 pitches.