Pirates All-Star rookie Paul Skenes lost for the first time in 12 career major league starts as Alec Burleson stroked a tiebreaking single in the ninth inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 2-1 win on Tuesday night.
Skenes threw 91 pitches through eight innings and was allowed to start the ninth for the first time.
Michael Siani opened the inning with a double down the left-field line and took third on Masyn Winn’s groundout. He scored when Burleson lined an 0-2 fastball into right on Skenes’ 104th and final pitch.
He gave up two runs and four hits in 8 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts and no walks as his ERA rose from 1.90 to 1.93. Skenes had at least seven strikeouts for his ninth consecutive start, extending a team record.
Ryan Fernandez earned the win, getting an inning-ending double play in the eighth from Ke’Bryan Hayes, his only batter.
Ryan Helsley struck out three straight batters on 13 pitches for his major league-leading 33rd save in 35 chances.
Jack Suwinski had two hits for the Pirates, who had won seven of their previous eight games.
Dodgers beat Giants for 5th straight win
Shohei Ohtani drove in three runs and the Los Angeles Dodgers extended their winning streak to five games with a 5-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
Shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald became the first Giants rookie to homer in five consecutive games with a solo shot off Landon Knack in the second inning. He is the first Giants player to go deep in at least five straight since Barry Bonds had a seven-game streak in 2004.
That was the only run and one of two hits Knack allowed over five innings in his first win since April 24.
Brent Honeywell Jr. worked two scoreless innings, Blake Treinen pitched the eighth and Alex Vesia gave up a run in the 9th before Evan Phillips retired LaMonte Wade Jr. with the bases loaded for his 15th save.
After Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez drew two-out walks in the first against Jordan Hicks, Gavin Lux’s double staked the Dodgers to a 2-0 lead.
Ohtani followed Jason Heyward’s hit by pitch and Cavan Biggio’s single in the fourth with a double off the right-field fence to make it 4-1.
The Japanese sensation added an RBI single in the eighth.
McNeil, Diekman help Mets edge Yankees
Jeff McNeil hit a two-run homer and Jake Diekman struck out Aaron Judge in a key spot as the New York Mets held on for a 3-2 win to remain perfect this season against the New York Yankees.
Jose Quintana and five relievers combined on a five-hitter as the Mets (52-48) matched their season high of four games over .500. They improved to 3-0 against their crosstown rivals.
With closer Edwin Diaz unavailable, Diekman pitched a hitless ninth for his fourth save. After walking Juan Soto with one out, the veteran lefty froze Judge for a called third strike, then retired rookie Ben Rice on a game-ending grounder.
The Mets walked Judge his first four times, once intentionally, but the Yankees were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
McNeil’s homer in the sixth off Michael Tonkin snapped a 1-1 tie and was his fourth in five games since the All-Star break.
Gleyber Torres homered and Alex Verdugo doubled home a run for the Yankees, who dropped to 9-19 in their last 28 games.